Pulse
by Erik'sangel527
Summary: Christine decides to audition for a popular televised talent show called Pulse. All three judges vote unanimously and agree to let her compete. As the competition progresses, one of the judges, Erik, becomes more and more captivated by her. Modern day, E/C...
1. Season Finale

**Full Summary: **

Christine Daae and Meg Gene are two talented college students. Christine's passion is singing and Meg's is dancing. After watching and becoming addicted to season 7 of the popular televised talent show, Pulse (which is similar to America's Got Talent, Britain's Got Talent, American Idol, The X Factor, etc.), Meg sees that there will be auditions for season 8 of the show and signs herself and Christine up to compete.

The three judges of the show, Nadir Kahn, Madame Giry, and Erik Destler, are pleasantly surprised by the girls' back-to-back auditions and vote unanimously to let them compete. As the competition progresses, Christine and Meg continue to impress the judges. But, the hard part is that there can only be one winner...

Meanwhile, Erik, the judge who is famous for his reclusive ways and insulting comments, begins to shed his fierce exterior while becoming more and more captivated by the one competitor who continuously blows him away- Christine. Modern day, E/C

**Chapter 1- Season Finale**

Christine Daae sucked in a breath and held it, as did Meg Gene, the blonde-haired girl sitting beside her. Both were tense with anticipation as they stared at the television screen. Their favorite reality talent show –and the only reality show Christine ever watched- was airing its finale. The show was called Pulse, and the girls had been avid viewers all season.

It was the last five minutes of the final episode, and the competitors were down to two. Who would win? Would it be Roy Atlas, the twenty-year-old rock singer/guitarist? Or would it be Carrie Baldwin, the twenty-two-year-old insanely flexible gymnast?

Both were talented, but Christine and Meg wanted Roy to win. He was just so passionate when he performed.. plus, he was gorgeous and had an amazing voice. Carrie was gorgeous, as well, which the girls thought served as her main promoting factor. Every guy who watched the show would probably vote for her.

That being said, both Christine and Meg were nervous.

"_And now, the winner of Pulse season 7 is," the host, Chris Roberts, slowly began._

The camera moved back and forth, showing Roy's face and then Carrie's. They were holding hands, and Roy's eyes were focused downward while Carrie's were closed. Tension mixed with hopefulness and readiness for disappointment were evident on their faces.

A good fifteen seconds passed. Christine and Meg were ready to pass out from lack of breathing.

Finally, though…

"_Roy Atlas!" _

Christine and Meg jumped to their feet simultaneously while screaming and hugging each other excitedly. The television audience was also cheering wildly.

"Oh, my God!" Meg yelled in surprise, her long, straight blonde hair bouncing as she jumped.

"I can't believe it!" Christine belted joyfully, while feeling a bit silly for being so excited.

The camera showed Roy's complete and total shock as his hand let go of Carrie's. His shock slowly turned into pure bliss as he hugged her. Tears were evident in his eyes, which made Meg and Christine let out tender "Aww's".

They could tell Carrie was forcing happiness as she congratulated the winner beside her. Colorful confetti rained down upon the stage while a jubilant melody played. All of the season's competitors raced out to congratulate Roy, as did his family.

The camera then turned to the judges. Two of them were standing, cheering, and clapping excitedly, but the third sat in his seat clapping and looking rather bored. It was obvious that he was ready to leave.

Truthfully, the show wouldn't be half as good without the judges. Nadir Kahn, Madame Antoinette Giry, and Erik Destler were their names.

Nadir Kahn, originally from Iran, moved to the United States in the 1970's and became an extremely famous guitarist. He was most well-known for being a member of the band, Healer. Healer was a rock band that gained worldwide fame in the 1980's. They retired in the 1990's, but Nadir's name didn't fade away like the others. Instead, he started a charity organization that helped millions worldwide. It was created in the late 1990's and had since grown to become one of the most successful fundraising organizations in history. He was the creator of this competitive talent show, which was the most watched show on television, and had been judging since the first season.

Madame Antoinette Giry, regularly called Madame Giry, gained her fame in the 1980's when she became a well accomplished ballerina. She trained with the New York City Ballet Company and earned the lead in many performances. She retired after nearly twenty years but kept her fame by judging many dance competitions throughout the world. This was her fourth season judging on the show.

Erik Destler, though… Well, Erik was a mystery. Everything about him seemed to be hidden, including half of his face. What was known was only what was seen. He never ceased to wear black clothing on the show, he always had a white mask covering the right side of his face, and he had judged on the show since the beginning. It was his form of judging that was the cause of his national fame. Erik was "the mean one". Really though, he was just brutally honest, whether it be with good or bad comments. And when he gave a bad comment, he gave a _bad _comment. The man had a way with wording criticism, and it never ceased to make jaws drop in shock. It was rare for him to compliment a contestant.

So, it was no wonder he was sitting in his judging chair waiting to leave, while the huge celebration was going on around him.

Christine and Meg didn't have time to comment on it, because the camera immediately returned to Roy and the host, Chris.

"_Roy, how does it feel?"_

Roy sighed loudly while still crying somewhat and laughing. _"Man, it's just.. unreal.. I can't believe it.. I'm just.. so happy!"_

Chris laughed loudly and said, _"Well, we can see that!" _The camera flashed to the audience, and more applause erupted. _"Roy, it's time for you to take the stage again. We want to hear our winner!" _Even more applause and cheers could be heard as Carrie came on stage carrying his guitar. A smile was plastered on her face, although it didn't quite reach her eyes. She handed Roy the guitar and stepped back, as did the rest of the people on stage.

Roy strummed the beginning chords of his most popular song, the song that really made the judges –well, two of them at least- think he had a chance of winning the competition.

Christine and Meg squealed with excitement and sat back down on the couch to watch the performance. Everything was perfect, the confetti, the lights, the emotion in his voice, the way he looked, just everything. The girls couldn't help but stand and cheer when he hit the final high note.

The show was almost over, but when the TV camera flashed once more to the judges, Christine's brow furrowed. Madame Giry was standing with tears in her eyes, Nadir was standing with a big grin on his face, and Erik was just.. standing. He was probably ready to get away from such happiness.

Christine just couldn't really understand why he looked so negative. She'd never gotten into the show before this season. Sure, she'd heard about it, and about him, but she hadn't ever sat and watched it before. Over the course of the season, though, she had pondered many times trying to think of why he acted the way he did.

Meg turned off the television and turned towards her with a wide grin on her face. "It was perfect, huh?" Meg had been watching the show since the first season. It was she who had convinced Christine to watch it with her. It was summer, and both girls really didn't have anything better to do.

Both of them were 19 years old, about to be juniors in college. They'd met through a freshman-level English course and had become best friends. In fact, they became so close that they decided to room together their sophomore year. Currently, the two of them were looking to share an off-campus apartment for the coming school semester.

'Friendship' wasn't the only thing Christine and Meg had in common. They were both also very talented.

Meg Gene was a dancer, a ballerina to be exact. It was once her dream to be a part of the New York City Ballet, just like her favorite judge Madame Giry, but that was before she entered college. Her parents were the ones responsible for making her see reality. Only one in about one million truly gained fame through dancing. Madame Giry had only been lucky. So, after finally accepting her parents' viewpoint, Meg had decided to go to college and major in Business. As it turned out, she was actually quite good in her field.

Christine Daae was another story. She was an excellent classical soprano singer with the talent to make it in the music industry. Unfortunately, her life wouldn't allow it. When she was fifteen, her mother, Beth Daae, had died in a car wreck. Her father, Gary Daae, already suffered from health problems and had his entire life. Before her death, Christine's mother had taken on everything, working a job, taking care of her husband, and taking care of her daughter. When she died, their lives were torn apart. No longer was there anyone to care for Gary and earn a living to pay expenses. Christine had, at the age of eighteen, taken charge. When she wasn't at school, she was either working or taking care of her father. Singing had to serve as an occasional hobby, for there wasn't much time to devote to it. Her major was also Business, as she didn't really know what else she wanted to do.

Currently, it was a Thursday night, and they were at Meg's house. "So, what do you want to do now? Go find Roy Atlas?" Meg asked with a smirk, still excited from the show.

Christine laughed and unconsciously played with a strand of her brown, curly hair. She then looked down at her watch, and her eyes widened. "Actually, I should probably get back. I need to make sure Dad took his pills." Just the thought of him not doing so caused her face to pale. "This was fun," she said in a hurry. "Thanks for letting me come over." She began walking towards the door.

Meg forced herself not to show disappointment that her friend couldn't stay longer. It was understandable. Christine was responsible for everything in her small family, from taking care of her father to working to pay the bills. It really made Meg feel sorry for her. She wished she could help in some way. "Ok, girl. Be careful driving home. We'll talk soon." She watched Christine wave and leave before walking to her bedroom.

Without having anything else to do, Meg got on her computer and visited her favorite web sites, one of them being the official site of her favorite show -and the show they'd just finished watching-, Pulse.

Scrolling the home page, her eyes suddenly scanned a very promising link entitled, _Audition for season 8 of Pulse! _In a matter of seconds after clicking the link and viewing the page's contents, a plan formed in her mind.

Season 8 auditions were to be held in eight cities throughout the United States, one of them being Atlanta, Georgia, which was only about an hour away from their hometown, Athens, Georgia. Atlanta auditions were in February.

It was all coming together in Meg's head. She'd always wanted to be a famous dancer. This could be her chance… And Christine? Well, she had the talent to be a famous singer, and this could be her way of getting there.

A grin came to her lips. _Pulse, here we come!_

* * *

**I hope you liked the first chapter! (I know some of you reviewed this in the past, but reviewing again would really make me happy haha.)**

**As for anyone new to the story who reads it, reviews would be nice :)**

**Thank you!**

**-Lauren **


	2. Giving In

**Chapter 2- Giving In**

"That is _it_!" Erik Destler announced turning away from his lap top screen. "I am _never_ going outside _again_!"

Nadir Kahn had just finished eating a bagel in the kitchen of their spacious apartment, and his eyebrow rose at the sudden exclamation he heard coming from Erik's office. After thinking about it for a few seconds, though, he sighed tiredly and shook his head, as if this happened all the time. _I should probably see what it is this time. Three times in one week? This is becoming ridiculous. _He walked towards Erik's office and stood in the open doorway. "Erik, what is wrong?"

Erik turned his desk chair towards him and yelled, "I will tell you what is wrong! My life! My existence! It is a joke!" He raised his hands in the air feeling quite exasperated.

"What happened to cause this?" As always, Nadir was curious. Yes, Erik did these sorts of things quite frequently, but each new reason always seemed more humorous than the previous.

He waved his hand towards the lap top in front of him. "This! It is complete filth!"

_Then why do you look at it? _Nadir thought. He walked around the large desk until he was able to see the screen. The web site's headline read, _'Erik Destler No Longer a Bachelor?'_. There was a large box underneath the title with two separate pictures, one of Erik on the left side and one of a famous Hollywood actress on the right. There were three paragraphs of text under the pictures. He rolled his eyes. _Such nonsense. Why must Erik react so rashly to what anyone who has half a brain would know is a lie? _"What does it say?"

"I don't know!" Erik exclaimed. "It is concocted trash, and I will not have it! Who in the hell _is _she, anyway?"

Nadir almost laughed. Only Erik wouldn't know who one of the most famous actresses in Hollywood was. "She is Anna Bordesky. Erik, you shouldn't become so upset by these articles. Why do you even look at them?" Now _that _was a question he was curious to know the answer to.

Erik growled and glared at the dark-skinned man. "Well, by the looks of things, I need to know what is going on at all times." His eyes returned to the screen. "The magazine that posted this, _Stretch_, is going to hear from me right now!" He reached for his cell phone.

"Erik," Nadir interrupted. "_Stretch _is a magazine known for making up humorous stories. The magazine is full of lies. Everyone knows that."

Slowly and with warning in his tone, Erik asked, "Are you saying that this is _humorous_?" He didn't reply. "It isn't! It is indecent, that's what it is!"

"Just calm down, old friend. It isn't the first time this has happened, nor will it be the last," Nadir pointed out calmly. "I suggest you discard it from your mind. Becoming angry is exactly what they want. The press eagerly waits for you to make any unforeseen move. Do not please them."

Erik crossed his arms. "Well, they certainly know how to toy with the wrong person," he grumbled. "Perhaps I will ignore it, though. But this is the last time!"

Nadir walked towards the doorway to leave and felt like shaking his head. _You have said that many times before. _"Maybe you should play piano. It would help you calm down."

"I _am _calm!" Erik yelled defiantly. Changing moods, though, he said, "I suppose being with my music would be nice.."

Chuckling, Nadir left the room and headed towards his own office. _One month until auditions for Pulse begin… January… I wonder if Erik can last until then.._

* * *

It was the second week of January, and Christine was wearing shorts and a T-shirt! _Georgia weather is so strange, _she thought while walking towards her Business Ethics course. It was 2:20 pm. This was her last class of the day. _Let the weekend begin.. _The thought made her smile slightly. Friday's were good days.

"Hey, Chris," Meg said when Christine took a seat beside her in the classroom. "How are you?"

Christine shared most of her classes with her best friend, which made things a lot better. She was never as prepared as Meg, due to her already busy schedule, so since they had classes together, they were able to share notes. "I'm good. You?"

"I'm great!" she replied. While both of them opened their notebooks and grabbed pens to take notes, Meg asked, "So, what do you want to do after this?" Without giving her time to answer, she continued, "There are some shoes I'm dying to get from Daphne's."

Christine's brow furrowed. Meg hadn't been shopping since the last time they went together… "How do you know Daphne's has something you want?"

Meg laughed. "I'm psychic," she joked. "No, but I went to their web site, of course."

She shook her head. "You and your Internet addiction." Christine didn't have a lot of time for developing an addiction, especially with something like a computer. She only had time for school, work, occasional hang outs with Meg, and taking care of her dad. That was her entire life in a nutshell.

Her bringing up 'Internet addiction' made Meg grin, trying to withhold telling her something she'd been able to keep hidden for almost five months.

"What?" Christine asked curiously. "You've been grinning like that so much lately. What's going on?" She pondered over what it could be. Her birthday was coming up.. _Please don't let her be planning some surprise, _she thought with dread.

Meg had to admit, Christine was observant. Perhaps she hadn't been being as secretive about it as she thought. "Oh, nothing," she responded mischievously.

Now Christine was _really _curious. "Come on, Meg, please tell me. You know I hate not knowing things."

"Nope, not going to happen," Meg said with her arms crossed. She watched as the teacher entered the classroom.

"I won't go shopping with you," Christine said, hoping to get an answer.

"Ha! Not even that will make me give in."

She didn't want to have to resort to this, but she knew it would work. "I'll tell you something I know that you don't."

With a smirk, Meg said, "You don't know anything."

"Yes, I do. It's something you'd really want to know, too."

"You're a horrible liar, Christine."

She wouldn't give up. "It's something that has to do with John.." John was the name of a guy Meg currently liked. That lie would do the trick.

Suddenly, Meg sat bolt upright. "What?" she demanded. "What do you know?"

Now it was Christine's turn to take charge. "I'm not telling you until you tell me what's going on."

The teacher almost had her lap top and the projector set up to begin teaching. Meg's eyes went from Christine to the teacher and back again. "Fine!" she gave in. "Fine. I guess it's not _that _big of a deal, anyway. You were going to find out soon enough. Ok, it's going to be the best birthday present of your life."

Christine's face fell. "You know I don't want you to get me anything."

"I'm not," Meg said honestly. "It's not _me _who will be giving you something. Alright, you know the show, Pulse?" She watched as Christine nodded. "Well, auditions are being held from the fifteenth through the eighteenth of February in Atlanta, and we're going."

Christine blinked. Then, she blinked again. "_What_?"

"You heard me."

The teacher was about to start. She was opening her mouth to speak. Christine could only stare at Meg, though. "Meg, what in the hell are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking we're going to audition, make it, and compete," Meg said sounding very sure of herself. The teacher began speaking. Christine was about to say something else, but Meg whispered, "Shhh.. We'll talk about it after class."

Class seemed to last forever, and Christine couldn't focus at all. _This isn't good for a person who's already making a C in the class. I need to be paying attention… But Meg has ruined all hopes of that! _She kept glancing at her friend, who would sometimes catch her eye and smile encouragingly.

_So Meg wants me to audition for Pulse.. _Christine was already going over the negatives in her mind. _First, we'd have to miss classes, which I can't afford. Second, I can't leave Dad. Third, getting off work is nearly impossible. Fourth, what in the world could I do for an audition? Fifth, I wouldn't make it in a million years. So why even try? _

When class finally ended, Christine and Meg packed their bags quickly and left the room to walk out into the warm winter day. "Ok," Christine said once they were outside. "Now, let's think about this. I've already come up with every reason why I can't do it."

Meg knew this was coming. She'd been preparing for months. _Nothing _was going to stop this from happening. "Name your reasons, then."

Christine didn't like Meg's confident attitude. "First, I can't miss classes."

"I've already looked at the schedules for each class. We don't have any tests that week. We can get somebody to take notes for us, no problem."

There was a pause. "Fine," Christine said with a frown. "Second, I can_not_ leave my dad for three days."

"We're bringing him with us."

"_What_?"

"Look, I've already reserved two hotel rooms. My parents can take one room, since they're ok with this, and we three can have the other. Problem covered."

Christine shook her head in disbelief but decided to move on. "Third, there's probably no way I can get off work."

"If you tell them tomorrow, then it'll be fine." _I'm better at this than I thought, _Meg thought proudly.

"Fourth, what would I audition as? A mime?" she asked sarcastically.

Meg laughed a little. "No, Christine. You would be singing, of course." The fact that Christine wasn't aware of her own talent was enough to really agitate a person. Although, it was also a likeable quality, which was all the more reason to audition with it!

"Singing?" Christine asked in surprise. "_Singing_? Honestly, I think you've lost your mind. And my fifth reason is that I would never make it." Before Meg could say anything, Christine said, "If you really want to audition, then go for it. I'll be cheering for you like crazy. But me? I don't think it would work." Their talk was now making her a little sad. Her life was just so complicated.

If Christine was a little sad, then Meg was even more so. "Come on, Christine. I really want you to do this with me. You're so much more talented than you think you are. You'll make it, I know you will. You deserve to have some fun. Please," she begged.

"I-I can't," Christine said softly while looking down. "I don't have what it takes."

"But you do," Meg assured. "I've seen you when you're singing. It's like you go off into another world or something. It's really beautiful. All three judges will love you."

Christine hadn't even thought much about the three judges. "My God, I hadn't even thought about that. You can't honestly expect me to get on a stage in front of three judges and a concert hall full of people?"

Meg smiled. "Of course. That's how it's done. Now, are you in?"

She wasn't near fully convinced yet. "No, I'm not."

Stopping in her tracks, Meg moaned loudly. "Oh Christine, come _on_! What is the worst that could happen?"

"I could end up on TV embarrassing myself in front of millions of viewers," Christine flatly stated while watching Meg's display of emotions.

"You're not going to make a fool of yourself! Auditions don't even come on TV until the show starts up in May. Anyway, I already know the song you can sing. You'll nail it. _Please _do this with me."

Christine let out a dry laugh. "What song?"

Meg couldn't think its name. "That song from Faust you've always loved. It would work great. And I've been practicing my dance for months. Oh _please _don't ruin this for me." _If I make her feel bad for hurting me, then that's sure to win her over. _

"How come you've gotten more time to practice than me?"

"Oh, don't give me that. You already know that song backwards, forwards, and upside down. Me, on the other hand.. Well, let's just say I've had to work my ass off. I'm not doing this without you," Meg said softly. "Please, just do it. Not just for me, either. Listen, if being on the show makes you famous, which I know it will, then you will have the ability to help your dad. The money you earn would change everything for both of you."

Those were the words that made Christine really think. _She's right... But what if she's wrong? But what if she's right? Maybe it wouldn't hurt to try.. Am I going to regret this? _"Ok, I'll do it," Christine said, though not at all sure of herself.

Meg wasn't expecting such an abrupt change, but without hesitation, she moved forward and hugged her best friend. "You won't regret this. I know it. You're going to surprise all of them. Now, let's go practice."

They continued walking towards their apartment, Christine trudging along behind Meg. She was already nervous about this entire thing. _What have I gotten myself into?

* * *

_**Thank you so much for the reviews :) They really made my day a whole lot better. I decided to post this now since it was ready. Really no point in delaying it. Well, I hope this was enjoyable. I will try to have the third chapter up soon!**

**-Lauren  
**


	3. Auditions

**Chapter 3- Auditions**

"_The way we were…_" The singer's voice trailed off until he was left standing with an anxious expression on his face.

After a moment of suspense, Madame Giry said, "You're the best we've heard all day."

Nadir commented, "Yes, that was an outstanding audition."

Erik, on the other hand, studied the singer's face and shook his head. "You are over-confident. The performance might have been the best we have heard today, but that is not saying much. To correct Nadir, it was _not _outstanding. It was average at best."

It was the other judges' turns to contradict his remarks. "Erik," Nadir began with a frown. "He _was _good. Please, at least agree that he is good enough to go to the next round."

Madame Giry looked at the competitor. "Don't listen to Erik. Trust me, you were great, the best we've heard in Nashville." The judges were in the third city, Nashville, Tennessee, trying to find talent.

Erik rolled his eyes at Madame Giry and replied to Nadir. "Yes, yes, all right, he was good enough to proceed." He directed his attention to the singer. "I suppose that is three yes's."

Nadir smiled. "Congratulations."

Madame Giry also smiled. "We'll be seeing you in L.A."

The contestant left the stage after a few exclamations of 'Yes!', and Madame Giry and Nadir glared at Erik. "You have done nothing but insult and belittle these performers," Nadir reprimanded.

They were about to get into what was sure to be a big argument, but Chris Roberts, the host, interrupted by introducing another contestant. It was a 68-year-old gymnast. Erik slumped in his seat and groaned miserably. _This is a mockery. Will we ever find true talent?_

* * *

It was nearing the 'big day', as Meg liked to call it. She and Christine had been practicing constantly and both were ready, whether Christine knew it or not.

Every sentence Meg spoke seemed to have something to do with the audition, and her next sentence was no different as the girls walked to their last class of the day. "My mom and dad are so excited. How's your dad with it all?"

Christine recalled telling her father about Meg's idea back when Meg first told her about auditioning. Even before opening her mouth to ask him if she could audition for Pulse, she knew what his answer was going to be. And she had been right. Her father had encouraged her enthusiastically. He'd also found Meg's idea of him coming with them to be logical. Quite frankly, Christine hadn't seen her father get so excited about something in a long time. It really had caused her own excitement about the competition to grow. "He's all for it. He thinks we'll be great."

"And he's right," Meg said confidently. "We _will _be great. But you still doubt it, don't you?"

"I don't doubt that _you_ will be great," Christine said. "But _me_? I'm not so sure…"

Meg sighed. "As I've told you so many times before, you're going to be amazing. You'll be better than me. My only hope is that, after all our hard work, we both get in."

Christine inwardly hoped for the same thing.

* * *

Erik, Nadir, and Madame Giry were traveling by limousine from their hotel in Atlanta, Georgia to the Fox Theater. It was the first day of auditions in the large city. Nadir and Madame Giry were very enthusiastic and talkative while Erik merely sat silently in his seat with his arms crossed. _There is only one city after this. We have yet to find a true competitor. _He sighed and started skimming through a stack of audition applications on his lap. Each person who was to audition had to fill out applications, which were then sent to the judges before each day of the auditions. The applications Erik was looking through were for the hopefuls he would be seeing that day.

Nadir and Madame Giry also had copies, but neither were looking at them. It seemed they were too busy jabbering and laughing. Erik gritted his teeth forcing himself not to interrupt.

The thing that few knew about Erik was that he was a true genius in more areas than just judging. For one, he had an incredibly sharp memory, which was being used as he went through each name out of the first 100 applications. They would be seeing about 400 people, give or take some. 400 people in one day… Erik was already bored just thinking about it.

By the time they arrived in the back of the theater, he'd already memorized the first hundred names and read through the first fifty applications. It seemed there would be some diversity, at least. Not that it made any difference… They'd seen it all before, in other cities. Nadir, Madame Giry, and Erik would just have to see if these 'competitors' could be better than their predecessors. Erik could only hope.

* * *

"You know, I always thought they had pre-auditions for these things," Christine commented to Meg. The girls were riding together in Meg's parents' Toyota Highlander. Meg's and Christine's dads were in the front, and Meg's mother, Meg, and Christine were in the back seat, Meg seated in the middle.

"Well, I think they do for other shows like Pulse, but I heard that the judges prefer to see _everybody_. Don't ask me how they do it all in three days…"

"But you've said before that there's only a limited number of people who can audition." Christine was sure there had to be some secret behind this show, some catch.

"Well yeah, not everybody can get in. You had to be quick to sign up, like I was. I know other shows take everybody who auditions, but since the judges like to see everybody unlike the other shows, there can only be a certain number." Meg mistook Christine's skeptical look as misunderstanding. "It's like a concert. There's only a certain number of seats. You have to buy tickets fast or they'll all be sold out. That's the way it is with this show."

Meg's mom spoke up. "Well, that seems a little unfair, doesn't it?"

"No, not at all," Meg replied with a sure-sounding tone.

Christine knew Meg practically worshiped this competition, which made her hope all the more that she would pass the audition. Of course, Christine hoped she herself would make it as well, but speaking of unfair… It would be truly unfair if Meg didn't make it. She had everything it took to get in- talent, determination, confidence..

"Oh man, turn it up!" Meg suddenly exclaimed, referring to the radio volume. Roy Atlas' hit single was playing, and the blonde couldn't get enough of it.

Both dads in the front grumbled unenthusiastically but did as she said.

Christine went over everything in her mind as Meg listened to the song they'd both heard at least 50 times since it first premiered. They would all be staying the night in two separate hotel rooms, one for Meg's parents, and one for the girls and Christine's dad. The following morning at approximately 4:00 am, they would stand in line at the Fox Theater and wait.. and wait and wait and wait.

After thinking about it more closely, Christine knew that the judges were going to be tired. After all, she and Meg were scheduled for final day auditions. That was definitely a worrying thought. She glanced towards Meg and then closed her eyes. _Please let her make it.. Maybe just maybe let me make it, too._

* * *

The third, final day of auditions in Atlanta finally came, and both girls and their families were waiting in a very long, loud line. Meg had warmed up in the hotel room where she had room to move, and Christine had warmed up in the car feeling highly embarrassed singing in front of her dad, Meg, and Meg's parents. But she had to get used to singing in front of others. She'd been practicing that exact skill for months now, and it was getting better.

They were both ready, but they both had different ways of showing that they were ready. Meg was almost _too _excited as she waiting impatiently, while Christine kept wringing her hands nervously hoping her audition would hold off for as long as possible.

"Come on, Christine, loosen up," Meg instructed encouragingly. "You'll be fine. We all heard you warm up. You're going to blow the judges away."

Christine's dad chimed in. He was seated in a wheelchair next to them. "Meg's right, honey. Just feel like you've felt everyday when you've been practicing. It'll be easy."

She was about to disagree with their words but decided not to at the last second. What good would it do? This was happening. There was no way to get out of it. She needed to come to terms with it. With a reassuring smile, she said, "I'm fine. And thanks for the advice, Dad." Turning her attention and worry towards him, she asked, "How are you feeling? We'll be inside in a little while. Then, you'll be out of this heat."

"I'm feeling just fine, Christine. Don't worry about me. In fact, don't worry about anything. Enjoy this. It's a once in a lifetime experience."

The five of them eventually made it inside and found seats. Christine and Meg attached their auditions numbers to their shirts. Meg would be auditioning before Christine, but the order hardly mattered. All that mattered to Christine was the prospect of Meg making it. When it came down to it, that was all she really wanted. Of course, it would be ideal for them both to get in, but Meg just _had _to.

They all proceeded to wait anxiously.

* * *

It was going on 5:00 pm, and Erik was indeed bored, just as he knew he would be. It seemed Nadir and Madame Giry were having a good time, which made everything even more irritating. _This is the final day of auditions in this god forsaken city, though. I can handle this for a little while longer…_

In fact, it was nearly time for their dinner break. There were ten more auditions. This was exciting. Erik sat up a little straighter and uncrossed his arms making his appearance seem a little less intimidating.

Both Nadir and Madame Giry noticed while waiting for the next competitor. "Is everything alright over there?" Madame Giry asked.

"I'm fine," Erik replied with hostility, which was nothing new.

Nadir shook his head, and all three of them looked over the next application. _Meg Gene, 19 years of age, ballerina. _They read over her background information. Nothing unique.

Chris Roberts introduced her, and the blonde with a dancer's build walked on stage while applause could be heard from the audience.

"Hello, what's your name?" Nadir asked with a smile. It was meant to calm her down, although all three of them noticed it wasn't necessary. She seemed calm and ready.

"My name is Meg Gene," Meg replied with a relaxed smile.

"Proceed," Erik simply said. Madame Giry frowned at his bored tone.

Meg nodded towards the other side of the stage, and the music began.

Nadir, Madame Giry, and even Erik became avid viewers as soon as the music, Shadowed by Burkhard Dallwitz and Philip Glass, began to play. Meg transformed before their eyes into a true ballerina with the poise and grace of a professional. Every move she made was eye catching.

Madame Giry studied each movement eagerly, as she herself had once been a ballerina. The girl was gifted. It was obvious she'd been practicing for a very long time. She had the 'it' factor, the key quality needed for ballet.

When the song finished after a little over two minutes, Meg held her position for a brief time before snapping out of the 'place' she went when she performed and standing breathlessly. The first thing she heard was applause from the audience. She'd actually almost forgotten they were there. It was hard to see for the bright lights, but she could have sworn a lot of them were standing. Then, she watched as her favorite judge, Madame Giry, stood and clapped, as well. A huge grin came to Meg's lips at the sight.

"Bravo!" Madame Giry exclaimed. She then sat and looked from Nadir to Erik with a large smile on her face before turning to Meg again. "Meg. Meg, Meg, Meg. Wow, that was incredible. A work of art. You should be proud."

"Thank you so much," Meg said, struggling to contain her excitement.

Nadir spoke next. "The best we've seen in Atlanta by far."

"Whoa, thank you." Meg's eyes widened. But then, she knew it was Erik's turn. Inwardly preparing herself for whatever was to come, she looked at him.

It seemed Nadir and Madame Giry were looking at him with the same expression.

"I believe there is only one word to describe your performance…" Erik paused before saying, "Rare."

…Was that a good or bad thing? Meg was more than a little puzzled.

Madame Giry actually snorted. " 'Rare'? What's that supposed to mean, Erik?"

He rolled his eyes. "Shall I define it for you? 'Not widely known. Especially valued for its uncommonness.' Now, I believe we have a decision to make. It is a 'yes' from me."

Meg was truly shocked. "Really?" she couldn't help but blurt out. "Thank you!"

Erik's words satisfied Madame Giry. "It's a 'yes' from me, too." She smiled at Meg who grinned back.

"And it's a 'yes' from me," Nadir announced. "That makes three 'yes's'. You're through to the next round."

Meg's heart was pounding. Tears came to her eyes. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Before walking to other side of the stage, she waved, which made the audience cheer even louder. It was everything she'd ever wanted. Chris was waiting for her with a big smile on his face while applause from the audience echoed in her ears.

"Ha ha!" he shouted excitedly once she was close enough. "You were great! And here you go." He handed her a gold sheet of paper, the paper indicating that she'd passed the audition.

She held onto it with a firm grip.

"How do you feel?" he asked.

"Excited," she replied without hesitation. "So, _so _excited."

"Well, you certainly sound ready for the next round. We'll see you in LA. Way to go!" Chris led her towards the exit where four people were eagerly waiting for her.

Meg held out the gold sheet of paper with a face full of joy and tears in her eyes. "I made it!"

There were hugs galore and laughter and thrilled words of 'Congratulations' and 'I knew you'd make it'. It was enough to make Christine forget about her own audition for a few seconds.

Once the excitement settled down a little, though, it was time. Meg turned to Christine. "Your turn. Go sing your heart out!"

Christine's face fell somewhat as the audition she was fixing to go through entered her mind full force. She didn't have time to think before Chris came towards her. "Christine, it's your turn. Are you ready?"

"I-I guess so." Her reply sounded weak and stupid, but it was all she could think to say.

"Well then, let's go," he said with his hand on her shoulder.

Her eyes found her father's who gave her a 'thumb's up' sign. "Good luck!"

Meg and Meg's parents yelled, "Good luck!" too, before Chris led her away.

Nadir, Madame Giry, and Erik were busy studying her application. _Christine Daae, 19 years of age, singer_. This application was different than the others they'd seen. They were silent as they read through her sad background information.

Then, Christine walked onstage. She was feeling _extremely _nervous. _I can't believe this is actually happening.. Oh. My. God. _There was applause from the audience, which made her knees shaky. And the judges. All three of them were seated in the front center of the huge performance hall. _Am I going to throw up? No, Christine, don't do it. Just calm down and focus._

Nadir spoke first when she reached the center of the stage. "Good evening, what's your name?" He could tell that this girl was different than the previous contestant had been. Her nerves were very apparent.

"My name's Christine Daae," she replied after clearing her throat.

Madame Giry decided to go over a bit of her background information. Perhaps some conversation would help to ease her obvious nerves. "Your application says that your father suffers from Acid Maltase Deficiency Myopathy. What is that exactly?"

Christine thought about the question, which did calm her nerves some. "Um, it's an autosomal recessive disease. He has an excessive amount of glycogen in many of his cells. It weakens a lot of his muscles." She decided not to elaborate further.

"I see. Is he with you today?" Madame Giry asked.

"Yeah, he is," she said, looking back over her right shoulder to indicate that he was waiting outside.

Erik could also tell she was nervous, and for some reason he couldn't quite fathom, he cared about her feeling comfortable. It wasn't an abundant amount of care, no, but he did feel a bit sorry for her and her situation. "You will be singing the Jewel Song, I see." _This will probably end up being a very horrible performance of an aria that is too common. _"You may begin when you feel ready."

Nadir and Madame Giry decided to overlook Erik's different tone and instead waited for the girl to begin.

Christine remembered her father's advice. This was just another practice run-through. No big deal. She took a deep breath and looked towards the floor searching for the strength she needed. _Ok, _she thought with determination. She nodded towards the right side of the stage and the music began. Looking out towards the audience but not really 'seeing' them, Christine suddenly became… different. She became a different person entirely.

She became one with the song, its power, its meaning, its emotions. It was a condensed version of the Jewel Song from Faust, since their auditions could only be a certain amount of time, but the version didn't matter. It didn't take away from the audition at all.

Christine's natural expertise was basically a complete and total surprise. Nadir was on the edge of his seat, Madame Giry was sitting very still, and Erik's eyes were narrowed in concentration. _This _was what they had been searching for in every city. _This _was a masterpiece.

_Finally, _Erik thought when she reached the final high note. It was perfect. She was perfect. Quite frankly, he was tempted to do as Madame Giry had done at the end of the previous audition- give a standing ovation. But he would restrain himself.

He was the only person in the entire theater who restrained himself, though. _Everyone _else stood and clapped and cheered loudly. Nadir and Madame Giry couldn't contain their excitement, just as the rest of the audience.

After a good ten seconds, the judges took their seats and the audience followed suit.

As Christine slowly came back to reality, her breathing ragged, she blinked a few times hardly believing what she was seeing and hearing. But above all else, she was stunned by her own performance. _Did I really just do that? I haven't ever sung it like that.. _She noticed that two of the judges were standing, which made her blush and her lips curl upward. She wasn't expecting a standing ovation. Actually, she wasn't really expecting any clapping at all. Sure, she'd heard Meg receive it, but _her_? It hadn't seemed likely until now.

After everything settled down, Christine was left standing awkwardly. The theater was incredibly quiet.

Nadir spoke first this time. "My goodness… Christine, I must ask, are you sure you're only a junior in college as a Business major?"

Christine couldn't suppress a chuckle but nodded seriously.

"Well, if you say so," he whispered, still surprised. "You really are the best singer we have heard in every city. I say that with complete confidence."

Her mouth opened unconsciously at his statement. "M-me?"

"Ah, you're modest," he said with a smile. "That's a great quality to possess." Turning his head, he asked, "Madame Giry?"

"I agree one hundred percent with Nadir," she simply said. Both judges turned to Erik, whose eyes were still narrowed.

Christine had been trying not to notice his scary stare, but now she was forced to. She gulped nervously while waiting.

Erik could think of a number of things to say to the girl before him. He felt they could have a wonderful conversation were they in the right setting. But, as it was, he only had limited time. Instead of finding his own unique choice of words, as he usually did, he said, "I, too, agree with Nadir."

Christine's, Nadir's, and Madame Giry's eyes widened simultaneously. He'd never given such a high compliment, much less agreed with anyone. Christine was speechless.

"You are not aware of your own talent," Erik couldn't help but comment. "As Nadir said, that is a good quality to possess."

Everybody was shocked, most of all Christine. "Th-thank you." That was all she could think to say.

All three judges voted unanimously, and the verdict was 'yes'.

Christine left the stage with the same shaky legs she'd had at the beginning of her audition. Now, though, the shakiness was due to another reason entirely. She was _thrilled_.

Chris congratulated her enthusiastically when she was in front of him. "Christine, you were incredible, as you already know! How does it feel to receive such high compliments?"

She shook her head lightly. "It feels completely unreal…"

"Are you ready for LA?" He handed her a gold sheet of paper while asking.

"Yeah," she replied in a sort of daze. Christine held the paper in her hands and stared at it. "I think I'm actually ready for this."

Chris led her towards the doors. When they exited, Meg was directly in front of her. She moved forward and hugged her best friend while crying. "I knew it! I just knew it!"

Christine laughed and hugged her friend, her excitement growing more and more with each passing second. Once they were finished congratulating each other, they separated and Christine turned to her father who was seated in his wheelchair.

"Come give me a hug," he said emotionally. She moved forward and hugged her dad carefully, but she couldn't help but notice a strength she hadn't ever witnessed in him as he hugged her back. "You were wonderful. I am _so _proud of you. Your mother would be proud of you, too."

She felt a few tears roll down her cheeks. "Thanks, Dad."

The tender moment ended and Christine turned to Meg's parents who hugged her. "We're so proud of both of you," Meg's father announced.

"You're both going to be stars!" her mother exclaimed.

Meg and Christine laughed together and looked at each other with confidence in their eyes. "You ready for this?" Meg asked with intensity in her tone.

"Yeah, I really am. Are you?" Christine knew the answer to her own question.

She smirked and said, "Christine, I was born ready for this."

And perhaps both of them were.

* * *

**Thank you so much for the reviews! I really do appreciate each one I receive.**

**I hope you liked this chapter. Now that Christine and Meg are both in, the story is going to get more interesting ;)**

**About my other stories: I've had a difficult time writing the epilogue for In the Presence of an Angel, sadly. But it will hopefully come to me soon. And as for Pen a Pal, I am working on the next chapter. Writing this story helps me write that story. It's good practice. Both stories are so much fun to write.**

**Well, anyway, I will try to update soon! Thank you for reading. Please review :)**

**-Lauren  
**


	4. Preparing the Mind

**Chapter 4- Preparing the Mind**

Meg, Christine, Meg's father David, Meg's mother Julia, and Christine's dad Gary were standing outside the stage doors, the doors that the girls had previously gone through to audition. Both were still ecstatic, overjoyed and thrilled about the fact that they were officially Pulse competitors. They had just gotten through explaining their auditions in detail to each other and the parents, and they were now just standing.

Christine didn't know what to do with herself. She was still completely stunned. _I just can't get over this. I never thought-... Am I dreaming? Is this actually real? _It _was _real. It was very real. Excitement mixed with nerves were invading her emotions. "What happens now?" she asked Meg after about a minute of silently standing.

"I have no idea!" Meg exclaimed with a laugh. "Wow, this is so amazing! I just _knew _we'd make it!"

_That makes one of us, _Christine thought. She'd had a feeling Meg would make it, but for herself to get three 'yes's' just hadn't seemed possible. _But I'm in, and I need to come to terms with it. _

While wondering what the heck they were supposed to do, another thought came to Christine. "Hey, why are we the only people here? Why haven't we seen anybody else go in to audition?"

Meg looked around. "You're right, where is everybody?"

"Hmm, it is strange," Julia murmured.

"And what happened to Chris?" David asked. "We were so busy listening to your audition stories that we didn't notice him leave." Gary looked just as confused as they were.

"Maybe-" Meg's sentence was cut off.

The girls were frozen in place. Eight people suddenly emerged from the stage doors. Chris Roberts and four buff bodyguards were walking their way, but it wasn't them the girls were staring at. It was the other three people... They were none other than Nadir, Madame Giry, and Erik! Christine and Meg could barely breathe due to their astonishment.

"Hello again," Chris greeted using his perfect host voice. The eight of them stopped walking in order to face the girls who were staring at them with wide eyes. The bodyguards stayed close to the assigned people.

"H-hi," Meg stuttered. Christine didn't speak.

"I suppose I forgot to tell the five of you that you could leave," Chris said. "My mistake," he continued with light laughter. Then, he asked with a knowing smile, "Wondering what we're doing?" He could tell they were shocked to be seeing the judges up close. "We're taking a break. You two were the last to audition. Auditions will begin again in about thirty minutes, but in the mean time, we're hungry."

Nadir and Madame Giry chuckled at Chris' words, bringing themselves into the conversation. "Yes, I'd say this break is well needed," Nadir said.

Madame Giry nodded before smiling. "It's good to see our two favorite competitors again."

Meg could only giggle in a childish way while Christine looked from Nadir to Madame Giry and then to the silent Erik. She'd never been this close to such famous people. A blush came to her cheeks when she looked at Erik, though, because he was looking _right at her_. Their eyes met for a long moment before Erik looked away.

"Come," he simply said to Chris, Nadir, Madame Giry, and the guards. Then, he and his bodyguard walked away.

Christine vaguely heard Chris say, "You two should go celebrate," because her eyes and attention were focused on Erik's retreating back. _I wonder why he was looking at me.. Well, after such a long day, I probably look horrible. That's why he looked at me, I'm sure. _She also couldn't help but notice, _He walks so gracefully. _Forcing herself to blink, she snapped out of her trance and noticed that Chris, Nadir, Madame Giry, and their bodyguards were following Erik.

"Whoa," Meg breathed, once they were gone. "Did that really just happen?" She looked at Christine, but it seemed like she hadn't even heard her. "Christine?"

Her head instantly jerked towards Meg. "Yeah?"

Meg laughed. "Looks like you're just as surprised as I am." She turned towards her parents and Gary. "Well, I've got to say that seeing them just completed the best day of my life." The three of them didn't look to be amazed as she and Christine were. "Aren't you the least bit surprised that you just saw four of the most famous people on the planet?"

Her father shrugged. "I've never watched the show before, so I hardly know them."

"Don't tell me you weren't a fan of the band Healer when Nadir was the guitarist?" Meg just couldn't accept that her parents and Gary hadn't gotten a kick out of seeing them.

"I listened to them some, yes, but I was never as obsessed as it seemed the rest of the world was," her father replied. He looked at Gary. "Did you listen to Healer?"

Gary shook his head. "I was never a fan of that kind of music."

"I wasn't, either," Meg's mother agreed.

"What's wrong with you people?" Meg grumbled. "They're, like, my heroes."

"They're just people, Meg," her mother pointed out.

"Yeah, but they're rich and famous people," Meg said, not willing to give in.

"Alright," Gary cut in. "I'm feeling a bit tired, so why don't we continue this conversation in the car?" He noticed Christine looking at him worriedly, so he smiled at her in a reassuring way. "I'm fine, honey."

Meg's dad looked from Gary to Christine before nodding. "Yes, let's go." They began walking through the Fox Theater towards the exit, Meg and Christine holding their gold sheets of paper. They passed a lot of people on the way, and all of them were looking at the sheets of paper with eager eyes.

Christine currently had three thoughts going through her mind. One, she was worried sick about her dad. Two, she couldn't get her mind off the judges...mainly Erik. And three, she felt bad for all of the hopeful competitors they were walking past. She would hate to still be waiting to audition. Just the thought of how she had felt while waiting was enough to make her shudder.

"You ok?" Meg asked.

"Yeah, I'm just thinking about how all of these people must be feeling right now."

"From the looks of it, they're all really jealous. It looks like they want to steal our papers," she whispered. Christine only nodded, but she still felt bad for them.

"I'm sure there's more we have to do before we can leave," Julia suddenly said. "Everything's chaotic with so many people here, but there must be more we're supposed to do."

Christine dreaded the thought of making her dad wait through anymore of this. He needed to be resting. Sadly, she knew he was going to pay dearly for having to go through such a long, tiring day. _We should have left him at the hotel... Or maybe it would have been better if he didn't come at all. _She sighed wishing her dad didn't have to live such a hard life.

"Over there," Meg announced, breaking through Christine's thoughts. They approached a table where four people were sitting.

"I see you both made it," one of them said. "Congratulations."

"Now," another began. "You will be receiving a number of announcements and reminders through mail and email. Here's the packet you need to focus on right now." He handed Christine and Meg sheets of paper. "This explains when you'll need to arrive in Los Angeles, information about your free air fare, and details on where you will be staying. We'll be mailing your plane tickets, as well as various other things. Is everything clear?" Christine and Meg nodded. "Excellent."

"Is that all?" David asked, surprised by how little time this took compared to everything else.

"Yes, that's it. I know you all have had a tiring day. Go relax and enjoy your success."

All five of them intended to do just that. They left the building, and the girls looked around one last time with triumphant smiles on their faces. It was time to celebrate...but not before taking a long, needed nap.

* * *

Erik watched as Chris, Nadir, and Madame Giry scarfed down their food. It was a bit disgusting. Erik rarely ate in front of others, due to the mask and the fact that he'd never had a normal appetite. In fact, it wasn't odd for him to go without eating for over twenty four hours at a time. It was just the way he was, and he was fine with that.

Well, to say he was 'fine' with the way he was wasn't exactly true. Deep down, he always wished to be like everyone else. His mask, his eating habits, his incredible vision and hearing, and his hatred towards the rest of the world were abnormalities that he wished he could do without. He didn't despise _everything _about himself, though. No, he liked the fact that he was a genius. That, he felt, was his one good quality.

Above all else, he was a musical genius, although he possessed talent in many other areas. And being that he was a genius in many areas, he was forced to be a critical judge. Most would say that he was _overly _critical, but Erik did not believe that for one second. The competitors deserved to know the truth. If they could not handle his remarks, then they didn't need to be auditioning. Also, if they were not gifted in the area they thought was their expertise, then they needed to know. In Erik's mind, he was _helpful, _not cruel.

'Cruel'.They didn't know the meaning of the word. Erik did, though. Yes, he'd known the word's meaning since he was a child...

_Enough, _he thought, returning to reality. It was best not to think of his past. For the moment, he was actually in a decent mood. There was no need to ruin it by bringing up terrible memories.

His decent mood was due to the fact that they had _finally _found a competitor worthy of winning the entire competition. Yes, Erik was sure she was the one. _Christine Daae. _In all his seven years on the show, he'd never found anyone with as much talent as she possessed. The young woman had a remarkable gift, and Erik was sure she would go far in life.

He'd never been wrong.

* * *

Two months passed.

Auditions were over, and Erik found that most of them had been a disappointment.

There was one audition that he still remembered, though. It was _that _competitor that he couldn't forget... although, he'd tried to. It was unheard of that a mere person he'd seen only once could spark his interest in such a way, and he was trying to ignore it.

That was why he had been busy ever since auditions finished. His time was filled with music, both composing and playing his piano and violin. He was currently situated at his grand piano in the apartment he and Nadir shared. Their apartment was located in the bright city of San Francisco, California. Erik was not fond of the location, but since there wasn't a single place in the United States he was truly fond of, he supposed San Francisco would do.

Nadir was currently promoting a charity organization in Italy and had been for the past two weeks. Erik could only shake his head when he thought about his friend and what he chose to do with his life. He devoted his time to the needy and less fortunate. Erik supposed that was why Nadir considered him to be his friend, because he was less fortunate than others... due to the mask.

He hated to think like that, though, because it always caused him to become angry with Nadir, which he didn't deserve. But, he absolutely detested the thought of someone pitying him. Erik would rather deal with individuals hating him than deal with their feeling sorry for him. Nadir didn't pity him, though, or so he said. He claimed that their friendship was based on their similarities, strangely enough.

It couldn't be denied. If ever in life there was a good person, it was Nadir... Erik didn't like to admit that, but it was true.

Not liking the way he was feeling, Erik forced himself to focus only on the music he was composing. _I will not think about Nadir, nor will I think about Christine Daae._

* * *

It was the first of May, and Christine and Meg were due in Los Angeles on the fifth. They were excited and ready. Christine was surprised that she felt the way she did, but she and Meg had been working so hard that it was hard not to feel that way. Meg had been picking and choosing dance routines for the past three months, while Christine had been finding and learning songs to sing. They practiced every chance they got.

One episode of Pulse had aired on television so far. The show was airing a selection of auditions from the eight cities, and the auditions would be televised for four weeks. The girls refused to watch it, although they did wonder if their auditions would be aired. They didn't want to see what they were up against, though, so their focus was on what was ahead.

They'd received numerous emails and letters over the past two months explaining the procedure of the show.

Once all of the audition episodes were aired on TV, the show would have 18 more episodes of the season with two episodes per week, one episode being for performances and the other episode being for eliminations. All in all, there would be seven chances for performers to prove themselves during the competition... but only if they lasted until the final episode.

The first week would be long and strenuous, for each competitor would perform once for the judges throughout the seven days. Christine and Meg knew it was going to be incredibly important, because the nearly 200 people who were chosen during the first auditions would be cut to 100 based on the judges' choices. Both girls were nervous about it, Meg just as much as Christine. It meant that they needed to choose a complex, difficult dance and song to nail for the judges, and that was a pretty hard thing to do. The second week would involve the same sort of process, and 52 competitors would be eliminated, yet again based on the judges' decisions.

Three episodes pertaining to the two-week process would air the following week, with a chosen selection of performances aired two nights and eliminations aired the following night. The remaining 48 competitors would be given a week-long break during that time to prepare for the live shows.

Live shows would begin the following week, and the 48 people chosen by the judges would be divided into two groups with 24 performers in each group. For two weeks, with two episodes per week, the 24 competitors from each group would perform, and during the second episode of each week, ten people chosen by the judges would move forward. Fourteen people would be eliminated each of the two weeks.

After the two week period, voters' choices would begin. The remaining twenty competitors would be divided into two groups of ten, and the following two weeks would have each group perform, with the top four people chosen to move forward based on votes.

The top eight chosen competitors would then perform during the next four weeks, with two people being eliminated each week until only two remained.

That fourth week would be the most important, for the two finalists would perform three times during the episode. The following night's episode would name the chosen winner, and the season would come to an end. The winner won one million dollars and a contract to perform in a Las Vegas theater for a year. He or she would also win a lifetime of fame, of course.

The entire process was nerve wracking to even think about, but Christine and Meg felt ready for it.

There could only be one winner, and truth be told, both girls wanted to win.


	5. Round One

**Chapter 5- Round One  
**

"Your audition was on TV!" Gary Daae exclaimed excitedly to his daughter. "And so was Meg's! I was blown away by both of you!"

Christine froze on her hotel bed. She, Meg, and almost 200 other competitors had arrived in Los Angeles the previous night, and today, Tuesday, had been the first day of performing in front of the judges at the Kodak Theatre. She and Meg were due to perform on Thursday, but after seeing the performances that had taken place earlier that day and hearing the judges' critical comments, Christine was more than a little nervous about her turn. In fact, she'd been hoping that a phone conversation with her father would help calm her nerves. But, once she answered the call, _those_ had been her father's greeting words. "What?" she asked slowly, wondering if she'd heard right.

Gary smirked. "You heard me, Christine. Isn't it wonderful? I'm just so proud of you!"

"But-" Christine gulped before saying, "I didn't really want my audition to be on TV."

Meg, who was laying on her hotel bed, instantly sat up and turned her attention to her friend. "Your audition was on TV?"

She looked at Meg and nodded hesitantly. "And, so was yours."

"What?" Meg jumped up from her bed and stood staring down at Christine. "Are you serious?"

Christine definitely noticed how thrilled Meg was, which was the exact opposite of how she was feeling about it. She nodded again.

"Oh my gosh! That's awesome!" Meg yelled.

Returning her attention to the phone conversation, Christine asked, "What happened? Like, how were we introduced?" Knowing Meg would want to hear this, too, she turned on the speaker phone so that they both could hear.

"Well," Gary began. "Chris introduced Meg by explaining that she was a 20-year-old college student majoring in Business who danced on the side. He mentioned you, too, and said that you were best friends. Then, it showed her audition, which was amazing."

Meg threw her fist in the air triumphantly. "Yes!"

"What about mine?" Christine asked nervously.

He paused before saying, "It was actually very touching. Chris explained my condition and said that if you won, you wanted the million dollars to be used to help take care of me. I'm assuming you wrote that in your application?"

"Yeah, I did." So far, Christine wasn't having a problem with what she was hearing.

Gary felt on the verge of tears at just how caring his daughter was. "That means a lot to me, sweet heart. Thank you."

Christine shrugged. "Of course the money would go to you, Dad. I wouldn't have it any other way. _But_," she continued, emphasizing the word. "I'm most likely not going to win, so-"

"Either way, I'm so proud of you," her father interrupted firmly.

A small smile came to her lips at his words. "What else did Chris say?"

"Well, he said how old you were and what you were majoring in, and since yours and Meg's auditions were back to back, he repeated that you two were best friends. And, that was it.. besides your superb audition, of course. You and Meg definitely had the best auditions out of any of the others I saw. Really, you two were wonderful."

_Well, that's not so bad, _Christine thought with relief. She had been afraid of what Chris would say, although she really didn't know what she had been so concerned about. Chris was a cool guy, and the good introduction he made proved it. "Thanks, Dad." She smiled at Meg who still looked to be beside herself with joy.

"I'm calling my parents," Meg announced before grabbing her cell phone and going into the hotel bathroom where she could talk without disturbing Christine's conversation.

Christine laughed and took her cell phone off speaker phone to continue talking to her dad. They talked for another fifteen minutes about how her day had been and about how he was feeling. She'd never left her dad alone for more than two days, so this was totally different and extremely nerve wracking for her. "You're taking your medicine?" she asked worriedly.

Gary sighed. "Yes, Christine, I'm doing everything I usually do. Please trust me when I say that I'm fine. You need to focus on where you are and what you're doing. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity. Have fun. Relax."

She smiled at her father's soothing tone, although she still couldn't help but be concerned. "We're going to talk at least once every day, ok?"

"Christine, you may not have much time to call me. You're going to be busy. I don't want to hold you back."

"You are _not _holding me back, Dad." She couldn't believe he'd just said that.

Gary didn't speak for a moment. _Yes, I am.. _"Well, I'm feeling a bit tired, so I will talk to you later. Only call me when you have time. I love you, sweet heart."

"I love you, too. Have a good night and take care of yourself."

They ended the call, and Christine sighed. Currently, her life really was stressful, what with Pulse and her father. At least classes were over for the semester, though. That was a relief, and she'd actually pulled through with all B's.

Her thoughts returned to Pulse. _Erik's comments were really harsh with the other competitors today.. I wonder what he'll say when I perform.. It all depends on how I do, I guess. _Thoughts of wanting to win entered her mind, as they always did, and she closed her eyes. _Winning would be a dream come true, but I have to remember that it probably won't happen. I mean, of course it won't happen! I need to stop dreaming. _

Meg entered the room then, and she grinned at Christine. "My parents watched the show, too. They were about to call me, but I beat them to it. I can't believe we were actually on TV!"

"I know," Christine said softly. "But Meg, you should get used to it because I know you're going to be on TV every week. You're probably going to win this thing, and then I'll be all, 'I know a famous person!'"

Shaking her head, Meg said, "You make it sound like you're not going to be there every week, too. Believe me when I say this, Christine: You are going to be amazing in this competition. You'll be the famous one, and I'll be the president of your fan club."

They both laughed, but they were hiding something from one another, and that was the fact that they were both eager to win. They didn't even consider the fact that it could tear their friendship apart.

* * *

It was Thursday afternoon, and Erik sighed loudly while standing in a lobby of the Kodak Theatre taking a scheduled break from judging. He was feeling claustrophobic...again. And, it was all thanks to his bodyguard. The huge, fierce-looking man was always around, and it was highly annoying. Erik most certainly didn't need a bodyguard following his every move. Little did most others know, but he could take care of himself, even in a dangerous situation. He was strong and clever, not to mention the fact that he had weapons and definitely knew how to use them.

He hadn't always been rich and famous... Erik could remember a time when 'having everything' wasn't an option. In his youth, he'd had to fend entirely for himself, without family, without friends, and without a home. Wearing a mask only added to his misfortune, as people never took well to others who were strange looking. Bullies were the main problem. Erik had dealt with many bullies, and because he was young, he usually didn't win the fights.

That was why he learned to defend himself: for protection. He worked out to build his strength and learned to use a multitude of weapons. It wasn't long before others knew not to cross him. Well, _most _others, that is. It was one rainy night when Erik came across a gang, twelve of them. He didn't stand a chance. At one point, they went so far as to remove his mask. Something snapped inside him then, and a strength he'd never known before emerged. Within seconds, Erik gained the upper hand against all twelve of them.

But, before any murders could take place, Nadir Kahn came out of nowhere. He'd seen everything, from the gang beating Erik, to them removing his mask. And, he'd seen Erik's rage. Later, Erik learned that Nadir had been walking to his car after hosting a charity event. When he'd seen what was happening, he had taken action in order to make sure no one was killed. The gang recognized him for his fame, as most everyone did, and they'd run away. Erik, on the other hand, didn't recognize Nadir, but he did recognize the fact that the man wasn't afraid or disgusted by his face and that he didn't treat him like a criminal. It was the first time Erik had ever felt welcome.

That night, he revealed his life story to Nadir Kahn. It was very unlike him to confide in _anyone, _but he took a chance. He revealed that his parents had abandoned him when he was old enough to walk and talk and that he'd grown up running from everyone. He also revealed his dreams of being a normal man, but also a man with power. When Nadir had revealed his identity, Erik knew that he wanted to have just as much power as him. And, he was given the opportunity. Nadir had taken him in, had fed him, clothed him, and educated him.

And now, Erik was one of the most powerful people on the planet. But, with power also came problems, and he was currently looking at one of the problems. "Max, I want a Starbucks Tall coffee, black, and I want you to take your time getting it," he told his bodyguard using a snappy tone.

Max nodded once and did as he was told. There was a Starbucks near the Theatre, but if Max knew what was best for him, he would take as much time as possible going there and coming back.

"Getting rid of your bodyguard again, Erik?" Nadir asked slyly from behind him.

Erik merely shrugged without turning to look at his friend.

"You do know we begin again in five minutes?"

At that, Erik turned towards Nadir and cursed. "That damnable man caused me to miss my break!" He refrained from mentioning the fact that his thoughts drifting to the past had also been a large cause of his lack of a break.

Nadir chuckled. "Come, old friend. Antoinette is already there."

Erik mumbled a few more curse words while following Nadir back to the performance hall.

There was one plus about returning, though, and that was the fact that Christine Daae was to be performing that evening. He would put up with the other horrible performances if it meant hearing her again.

* * *

Christine had been warming her voice up for about an hour. She was due to perform in twenty minutes, so she headed backstage where the other competitors and Chris were. Meg had already performed and had been flawless, as Christine knew she would be. Each of the judges gave her positive feedback, including Erik. It came as no surprise to Christine, but she was jealous of the fact that Meg had been able to get it over with before her.

Now, she was a bundle of nerves. _I have to do well! But, what if I don't? I need to do well for Dad! But, what if I can't? _Those thoughts were racing through her mind as she waited offstage for her turn.

When it came time for her to go onstage, Chris approached her and immediately noticed her nerves. "Just remember how you felt during your first audition," he whispered. "You nailed it then, and you'll nail it now if you can remember that feeling."

His words actually helped a lot, and Christine smiled at him. "Thanks." Indeed, she could remember that feeling. And, she was determined to feel that way again.

With that, she walked to the center of the stage and looked out at the judges. She tried to focus on them instead of her fellow competitors in the audience.

"Good evening, Christine," Nadir greeted jovially.

"Hi," Christine said with a polite, shy smile.

"Are you ready?" Madame Giry asked.

She nodded and turned her head to the left in order to cue the music, and then she began to sing _Dove Sono_ from Mozart's _Le Nozze di Figaro_. The piece took absolute control and emotion, and Christine gave it all she had.

When it was over, she slowly returned to reality where she was standing onstage in front of three judges with other competitors in the audience, one of them being Meg. Then, she heard the clapping. They were all clapping wildly for her. Christine was astonished, and she blushed when she heard some of the male competitors whistle.

It was nice to receive their praise, but really, the judges' comments were the only ones that mattered.

Finally, after the applause died down, Nadir spoke. "Yet again, I have to ask, are you sure you're only a junior in college as a Business major?" He laughed as she nodded. "Oh Christine, that was amazing. And, you're only 20 years old?" She nodded again. "Amazing," he breathed. "Truly amazing. Madame Giry?" he asked, turning his head towards her.

Madame Giry nodded and crossed her arms. "I couldn't agree more. Christine, you are wise beyond your years. Your talent proves it. The only other thing I can say is, wow."

Erik was next. Christine gulped while inwardly begging for a compliment. Sure, the other judges and the audience might have liked it, but Erik wasn't like the others. He was different.

"Yet again, I must agree with them. You have an exquisite gift, Ms. Daae. I hope you will continue to surprise me." Without another word, he stood and left the performance hall, his body guard right behind him.

"Yes, well, I suppose it's time for a break," Chris said laughing as he walked onstage. The competitors and judges stood and walked away, everyone still in awe over Christine's performance.

Then, Christine left the stage, thanking people left and right for their compliments. When she made it to a hallway, she paused while other people walked past her towards the main lobby. Instead of following them, she turned the opposite way and began walking and looking at her surroundings. Christine was curious by nature, and she hadn't yet toured the Kodak Theatre, so she interested in walking around the fabulous building.

Surprisingly, no one was around, so she proceeded to stare at everything in awe as she wandered the halls.

Christine wasn't prepared for what happened next. Suddenly, she wasn't alone any longer because a door to her right opened and a person stepped out into the hallway.

It was none other than Erik Destler. He was alone, no bodyguard, no other judges, nothing. He and Christine could only stare at each other in shock.

* * *

**I told you the next chapter would be posted soon ;) It takes me sitting down and typing for a good four hours, and this is the product.**

**I hope this chapter was ok. I want to thank you so much for reviewing! Reviews mean so much to me! Seriously. Thank you.**

**Please review! I will try to update soon, since I kind of left it at a cliffhanger... **

**-Lauren**


	6. The Right Setting

**Chapter 6- The Right Setting**

_Christine's POV_

My first thought?- _Oh, my gosh! It's Erik Destler! _

My second thought?- _What the _heck _is he doing _here_? And all alone?_

I really thought my heart was going to beat out of my chest, and I could only hope he wasn't going to witness it happening.

Minutes were passing, I was sure of it. But, I couldn't stop staring. I was speechless.

* * *

_Erik's POV_

Had it been any other person, I would have walked away. Immediately. But, it was Christine Daae, the one and only competitor I had thought about outside of auditions.

Many thoughts were running through my mind, but the one that stood out was actually a memory from her first audition. Back then, I had thought with utmost conviction that she and I could have a wonderful conversation were we in the right setting.

Well?... Was this the right setting? I truly did not know. I wanted it to be, though. I wanted it to be the right time to talk to her. And, truth be told, I usually got what I wanted.

Also, I didn't want her to think I was a speechless idiot, although I knew not why I cared. I _never _cared. Strangely, though, it was different with her. Why was that?

* * *

Erik was the first to speak, which Christine was grateful for.

"Good evening, Ms. Daae," he greeted smoothly.

Christine's shock came to an end. Well, no, it was really just beginning. _He's actually talking? And being civil? He, who the media portrays as the most uncivil man on the planet, is talking to me? _Realizing she was still gawking, Christine forced herself to blink. Now, she wasn't staring any longer... Still, though, she didn't know what to say. He chuckled lightly, and both the sound of it and the look in his eyes caused her to blush unwillingly. "Hi, Mr. Destler," she finally softly said, a blush still permeating her cheeks.

"Please, call me Erik," he corrected with a pleasant smile. "And forgive me. I didn't mean to embarrass you."

That he even knew she was embarrassed caused her blush to deepen. They were standing in a hallway, just the two of them, and she was acting like a child. _Pull yourself together! _her mind shouted. Swallowing, Christine obeyed and attempted to display a smooth tone, like his. "Well then, please call me Christine." She smiled, though it wasn't nearly as comfortable as his.

Erik chuckled again unintentionally. This was the most he'd laughed and smiled in quite some time, actually, but he was going to disregard that just like he was going to disregard his whole strange behavior. She was funny, after all. Anyone would laugh. "Well then, all right Christine."

His saying her name made her feel special. Very special. It also calmed her nerves. She was finding that, beneath his cold exterior, his presence was really quite soothing. It was odd. Odder still was the current situation.

The moment might have been odd, but Erik refused to acknowledge it. Later, he would be able to think about everything. For now, they only had a limited amount of time to talk. Who knew how much time had already passed... "You take voice lessons, I take it," he began, jumping right into it.

Christine blinked, unprepared for his words, but then shook her head. "No, I don't. Well, I mean, I used to.. But, that was a while back."

Surprise quickly took hold of him, but he took a soft breath to calm himself so that she wouldn't notice. "What made you stop taking lessons?" It was mind boggling to think that her voice could be even _better _were she being trained.

She sighed and looked down for a moment not really wanting to answer his question. When she looked up again, there was obvious concern and attentiveness in his eyes. It was apparent that he really did care. _Am I seriously speaking to Erik Destler? He's nothing like I thought he'd be.. _

Erik didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable. "You don't have to answer," he reassured. "I was only curious." He smiled, and before she could say anything, he spoke again. "Moving on from that, I must ask why you are majoring in Business. From what I have heard, I would have to say that your calling is music." She looked a bit puzzled at first, but the same look as before eventually replaced it. Perhaps he was being too forward... But, this could very well be their only opportunity to talk. And strangely, the fact that they may never talk again pained him.

_How could he remember that? _Christine thought, referring to his remembering she was a Business major. Assuming he must have a good memory, her attention turned to answering his question. Unfortunately, the answer to _this _question was the same as the answer to his other question. _I should probably just answer and stop being rude to one of the most famous people on earth. _"Well, the answer to your previous question is pretty much the same as the answer to this question." After a pause, she finally admitted, "My mom's dead. When she died, she kind of took everything with her, including music. My dad's illness doesn't give me much time for music either."

Trying to understand was impossible for Erik. He'd never experienced the death of a loved one. Yes, he'd experienced death, but he'd never experienced love. However, he did sympathize with the girl before him. "I am sorry for your loss, Christine," he whispered.

She shook her head. "No, it's ok. I miss her, of course, but I have other people to help me through it."

"But, you returned to music... Why?"

He seemed to be really interested, and Christine had no idea why that was. _He has better things to do with his time, so why is he choosing to talk to a pathetic competitor like me? _"I was kind of forced into it, really." She thought about that for a second before shaking her head. "Actually, no, I wasn't forced to do this. I could have backed out if I really wanted to. I just- I love singing." She was about to explain how winning a million dollars would also help her dad, but she didn't want Erik to feel _too _sorry for her. _He's probably pitying me enough already. _Still, though, she couldn't understand why he continued to talk to her.

Erik nodded. "Yes. I, too, love singing."

"You sing?" Christine asked, a little shocked.

Chuckling, he nodded. "Yes, I am very musically inclined. In more than one area, actually."

Before anymore talking could take place, a tall, intimidating man rounded the corner and walked towards them. He was obviously a bodyguard. "Mr. Destler," he addressed with a business-like tone.

"Damn, he found me," Erik murmured. He watched as one of Christine's eyebrows rose.

The bodyguard approached them, his eyes going from Erik to Christine and back to Erik. "Sir, auditions are ready to begin again. Everyone is wondering where you are."

Acting as if he hadn't heard him and as if he had all the time in the world, Erik said, "Christine, I would like you to meet Max, the man who follows me everywhere."

Christine could tell he wasn't at all thrilled with Max. "Nice to meet you," she greeted politely.

Max briefly replied, "Pleasure," before impatiently returning his attention to Erik.

"Yes, yes, all right," Erik finally said, backing down from his defiance. He looked at Christine then, his whole attention fixated on her. "I have enjoyed our conversation, Christine."

Jokingly, she asked, "Do you always take time to talk to competitors, Erik?"

Max's eyes slightly widened at the way she addressed his boss. _Never _had a competitor addressed him like that.

Erik noticed and could have laughed. He couldn't let Christine's question go unanswered, though. Very seriously, he whispered, "No," so that only she could hear. Then, he smiled one more time at her surprised expression before looking once at Max, saying, "Let's go," and walking away. Erik could only hope he'd made an impression, but, yet again, he didn't know why he cared.

Unbeknownst to him, Erik had definitely made an impression. Christine could barely breathe. She did have enough sense to be grateful to have already had her audition, because seriously, she knew she was currently in no state to sing. Yes, Erik had made an impression, and it was a good one. A very good one.

Now, Christine found she wanted to win Pulse for three reasons. One, she wanted to help her dad. Two, she truly wanted to experience the feeling of winning such a huge competition. And three, she wanted to keep singing for _him_- the mysterious Erik Destler.

* * *

**It's been forever. I guess I'm kind of back. A little bit, at least. At the very most, this is a start. I hope you liked this chapter. It came to me rather abruptly today, so I wrote it down. I'm sorry it's short, and I'm sorry if it's a disappointment. I really will try to update this and my other stories soon. **

**On a side note, I noticed that FFN has taken away the ability for me to make separations between scenes in my stories. From what I can tell, every chapter I've ever written now has no separations. They just run on and on going from scene to scene without warning. I guess I will have to use the FFN separation line from now on. Now I just need to take the time to go back and make a ton of 'scene separation' corrections in all of my stories. That could take a while...  
**

**Thank you so much for the support! **

**Please leave a review :)**

**-Lauren**


	7. Round Two

**Chapter 7- Round Two**

"_And here you are," Chris said with a smile while handing Christine a blue sheet of paper. "You've made it through to the next round!"_

Christine smiled while thinking about three nights before, when she'd found out that her performance of _Dove Sono_ had been a success. Meg had also made it through, so now the girls would be singing and dancing again.

_And we perform today, _she thought nervously while staring up at her hotel room ceiling. She'd just woken up, and as always, her mind was on Pulse.

Christine's outlook on the competition had changed after the brief but intense meeting with Erik. The more she thought about it, the more she truly did want to prove herself, especially in front of him. Maybe it wasn't right to want to look good in front of the 'mean judge', but then again, anyone else would and probably did feel the same way. She wanted to win, it couldn't be denied.

There was one thing she was beginning to be concerned about, though, and that was Meg. Her best friend more than likely wanted to win, too. _And let's face it, she probably will. But, how will I feel? How will I feel if Meg beats me? _

She wondered if Meg had given it any thought yet. Would their friendship change? Christine hadn't considered that until now. Of course, she would make every attempt not to let it happen, but deep down there would always be jealousy.

And, unlikely as it was, if she herself were to win, would Meg hate her? Christine knew she really had nothing to worry about there, since it would never happen, but, well, she was really good at worrying.

"I'm worried," Meg abruptly announced while sitting up in bed.

Christine blinked, not expecting the same word she was feeling to emerge from her friend's mouth. "About what?" she asked.

Meg stood up and approached the hotel room's closet. "About what I'll be wearing today. I don't think the color's right... But, I want to make a statement, you know?" She pulled her leotard out of the closet and held it out in front of her.

Christine knew for sure that Meg would be making a statement. First of all, she was going to be doing a ballet dance to a remix of a pop song. And second of all, she would be wearing a bright pink leotard with sparkles. It would definitely be memorable. "Meg, you're going to be great," she reassured.

"But, what if the whole thing turns out to be a disaster? I'll get kicked out without even having gotten anywhere."

"You aren't going to get kicked out. You're going to be the best one they see. Seriously. The fact that you're taking a risk is going to win the judges over."

Meg shook her head. "It's _too _risky. And you're wrong. _You're _going to be the best one they see."

Christine could only shake her head silently, not believing that for a second.

* * *

Nadir looked at Erik who had just emerged from his hotel suite bedroom looking sloppy, which was unusual. With a disapproving and annoyed tone, he asked, "Did you not get any sleep last night?"

Erik shrugged. "I suppose not. Why do you ask?"

"Why do I ask?" he repeated, now sounding highly annoyed. "I ask because I care. It's not good for you, Erik. Plus, you kept me awake with your incessant playing."

"Ah, as I thought. You only truly care for yourself."

Erik's voice was calm, but Nadir's most definitely was not. Not now, at least. "Erik, that isn't true! Good lord, man! I've been nothing but kind to you for almost two decades and _this _is what you think?" He waved his hands in frustration. "Forget it. Just get ready. I will meet you in the limousine."

Erik looked after him with eyes that seemed to say, 'Was it something I said?' Well, he couldn't care at the moment. Nadir was right, though. He needed to get ready. The competition was to continue today, and today _she _would be singing.

Eyes bright, Erik hurried to finish getting ready before meeting Nadir and Madame Giry in the limousine.

* * *

_As I expected… They are all disappointments. _This was becoming ridiculous, in Erik's humble opinion. Not one talented person. They'd been watching performances for over two hours now, and there was not one to catch his eye. He wondered if it would continue this way.

_She will make this day better. She will. She has to.

* * *

_

Meg gulped while sitting backstage in her pink sparkling leotard. It was getting closer to her turn, and for the first time ever, she didn't feel ready. _This is going to be really bad and so embarrassing… _

She was beginning to wonder what had actually made her think she'd been talented and creative enough to create such a routine. It'd taken her a long time to make up the dance, and at first she'd been pleased.. But, now? _The song can obviously only be pulled off by a professional, and even then it's iffy. And the dance… Oh God, I'm going to suck! _

"Hey, Meg," came a whisper to her left.

Meg's head abruptly turned towards the person. Her eyes must have been a dead giveaway to how she was feeling, because the person –a male contestant- gave her a reassuring sort of smile.

"You're going to be great," he said.

His tone made it sound like he seriously knew what he was talking about. Meg blinked in surprise. "A-are you talking to me?"

He laughed in a laid back way, apparently not at all nervous about his own turn to perform. "Well, yeah. I saw your first audition on TV. I was also in the audience during your second audition. You're good. I mean… that's kind of an understatement. But, anyway, I can tell you're nervous, and I just want you to know that you don't need to be. And, well, I see that your friend isn't here to help you, so I wanted to try to. I'm Jake, by the way." He held out his hand.

By the way he was speaking, it sounded like talking to her was nerve wracking to him. As if he truly meant what he was saying. It was that observation that made Meg believe him. "I'm Meg," she said with a genuine smile, shaking his hand.

"I know," Jake pointed out, grinning. "Better?" he asked after a moment, still watching her.

"Actually, yeah. I'm feeling a lot better now." She blushed then. "The stress can just build up, you know?"

He nodded. "Oh yeah, I'm definitely feeling it. Whereas you have absolutely nothing to worry about, I'm having to perform for three judges that only think I'm 'ok'. At least they love you." After a second, he quickly added, "I'm not trying to downplay your nerves. Every competitor has something to be nervous about."

Meg laughed. "No, it's ok. I understand." To keep her mind off her dance, she asked, "What do you do?"

"I'm a magician."

Her interest perked. "Wow, that's really cool." Magic had always been so fascinating to her.

Jake shrugged and said, "It'd be 'cool' if I were good enough to impress the judges."

It was obvious the competition meant a lot to him, Meg decided. Of course, it meant a lot to all of them.

Right then, Chris Roberts approached the pair with a camera guy right beside him. "Good morning!" he greeted, just as cheerfully as ever. "Meg, how are you feeling?"

She unconsciously stood while thinking, _It's already my turn? _She hadn't even noticed the girl contestant to her right get up. _How did I manage to miss that? _"I'm feeling pretty good," she replied, returning to reality and realizing that she wasn't nearly as nervous as she had been before talking to Jake.

"That's great, because it's your turn!" He led her away while saying, "By the looks of it, I'd say we're all in for a big surprise."

While walking away, Meg took the chance to glance behind her at the guy who'd been responsible for improving her spirits. He was giving her a 'thumb's up' sign and a big grin.

She smiled and continued to follow Chris to the stage.

Hopefully, she really was about to surprise them all.

Madame Giry, Nadir, and Erik flipped to the next contestant's sheet. It was a pleasant surprise to read Meg Gene's name. There hadn't been a single outstanding performance the entire day, and Madame Giry and Nadir were hoping that was about to change. In fact, they were expecting it to.

Not Erik, though. He forced himself to never have high expectations. Most of the time, disappointment was all it led to. Rarely, someone would surprise him. Rarely, as in only one time in eight years…

They waited knowing Chris was probably doing some long introductory greeting with the girl. Being familiar with Meg's personality, they had a feeling the wait probably wasn't affecting her nerves, as it did others. The girl was confident, and she had every reason to be.

Madame Giry was trying not to assume anything, though. _Every competitor has a bad day, and who knows? This could be Meg Gene's bad day. _

"Good luck, Ms. Gene," Chris said, opening the stage door and ushering her inside where three judges and a camera crew were waiting.

Meg took a deep breath and approached the middle of the stage, smiling appropriately.

The greeting between her and the judges was brief. Before she knew it, Meg was in her beginning pose. The music began, and she took off.

In actuality, it all felt like a bit of a blue to her. She did the ballet dance as she always had, performing each movement to the best of her ability. She felt great, alive and free. By the end, she was out of breath and feeling nearly dizzy with energy.

Then, the sound of applause reached her ears, and it was like music. Meg opened her eyes. Madame Giry was giving her a standing ovation, and Nadir was sitting and clapping loudly. Erik was merely sitting motionless.

_Think of the other two, not Erik, _she reminded herself. Her focus returned to the two obviously pleased judges, and she felt like dancing again.

"Meg, that was so unexpected!" Madame Giry exclaimed while sitting down. "It was wonderful! Your taking a risk paid off beautifully!" Her concluding statement was, "You should be very proud of yourself."

Nadir went next. "Brilliant! Exactly what this day needed."

He turned to Erik waiting for whatever odd, critical comment he would come up with.

"That was very…bold."

He wasn't going to say anything else. _Well, whatever, I'll take it! _Meg thought optimistically.

After giving Erik a frustrated look, Madame Giry turned back to Meg. "Thank you very much."

Taking that as her cue to leave, Meg smiled, thanked them, and practically skipped to the door. She was elated. _I can't wait to talk to Christine! I hope she's not getting overly nervous about her turn…

* * *

_

Christine settled into her seat against a wall and looked from left to right. There were about 25 people sitting around her. She counted how many people there were ahead of her. _Twenty. So, I'm number 21. Almost last. Typical. _Well, she was actually more like number 46, as 25 other contestants had already performed before them. Meg had been a part of that group. _At least I'm not having to be part of the 50 who compete tomorrow, I guess. _

Well, now that 'that' was settled in her mind, it was time to return to being nervous. _You're going to be waiting here for God knows how long, and Meg's not here to calm you down, _she told herself.

_But, I've been practicing today! I know 'Vissi d'arte' from "Tosca" well enough to sing it backwards. I need to be focusing, not worrying. _

_Easier said than done. _

Two hours passed in the same way. Christine was having conflicting thoughts as Chris and a camera guy went down the line of chairs, contestant after contestant taking their individual turns.

It was quiet in the room, too, which added to Christine's apprehension. The contestants around her seemed to be just as nervous as she was. It wasn't encouraging.

Finally, the person to her right was taken to the stage area. Christine's heart was pounding.

_You're going to screw up. _

_I've performed in front of the judges before, so maybe this will go as well as the previous two times._

_You're not that lucky._

_Well, this isn't about luck. This is about talent-.._

Chris was approaching with the camera guy. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear self-consciously and attempted a polite smile.

"Good afternoon, Christine," Chris greeted, now right in front of her.

She stood and said, "Hi." The sound of her voice made her freeze, though. It'd been over two hours since she'd spoken a word. _Oh no, I should have talked to someone… My voice doesn't feel as warmed up as it was. Damn.. _

Chris was definitely looking at the most nervous contestant in the room. She was also the contestant with the least to worry about. "Ready to win the judges over again?" he asked with an encouraging smile.

_Stop being stupid! _Christine finally inwardly exclaimed. _Just try your best. If that's not good enough, then, well, this was a great experience and I'll be ok. _With as much confidence as she could muster, she brightly said, "Well, I'm going to try to." _Try. Yeah, just try.

* * *

_

All three judges were excited to see who was next. _Christine Daae. _Madame Giry and Nadir smiled at each other, both of them on the same page about the singer.

Unknown to them, Erik was just as excited as they were. More so, actually. Of course, he would hold no expectations, but just seeing her again would be nice.

He remembered their conversation vividly, even if it had been short and cut off by his ridiculous bodyguard.

Erik was going to disregard the possibility that his thoughts were turning personal. So what if he now knew her as something more than a competitor? And so what that this had never happened for him before? Even less important was the fact that getting to know her could be crossing the boundaries between competitor and judge. He'd never been one to follow rules.

It was when she walked onstage that all of his previous 'so what?' thoughts turned into 'it matters' thoughts. He actually smiled at the sight of her. He could sense her feelings. She was obviously nervous, she probably felt like she wasn't prepared… But, if appearances were worth anything, she certainly looked ready. _Alright, thinking of her appearance is too personal, _Erik warned himself, his small smile fading.

Christine took her place in the middle of the stage.

"Hello, Ms. Daae," Nadir greeted.

"Hi." She looked at them in turn, her eyes falling on Erik last. He looked alert, ready for her performance. Madame Giry and Nadir looked alert, too.

"Whenever you're ready," Madame Giry said with a kind smile.

All three judges were silently begging her not to be so nervous.

Christine needed to find a sense of peace, or she really was going to mess things up.

For some reason, her thoughts, which had been confusing and frustrating all day, suddenly instructed her to look at Erik. Without pause, her eyes found his, and the following second, her nervous, stressed, worried mind focused on one thing- to prove herself.

Finally feeling ready, she blinked, briefly looked down at the stage floor, raised her head, nodded once, and waited for the music to start.

It was all too easy after that.

Christine just sang the song as she normally would. Before now, she'd been thinking that she had to be different, that this performance had to have 'change'. But, that wasn't right, was it? Wasn't it entirely possible that she'd been doing it right all along?

'_Vissi d'arte'_ ended, and Christine was left without an answer to her question.

The answer came quickly.

She heard clapping and looked out, and what she saw was Erik. _He's clapping. He's actually clapping. Whoa. _Not only that, but he was smiling. He appeared to be proud, although she couldn't be sure for the mask. Christine looked just in time to see Madame Giry and Nadir sit down. So, they'd given her a standing ovation?

Really, she didn't think it was possible to feel happier than she currently felt.

"Well done, Ms. Daae!" Nadir congratulated with utmost enthusiasm. "That was incredible."

Madame Giry nodded. "I know how nervous you were, but my goodness, when you sing, the confidence I see is extraordinary. You have such a gift."

Christine couldn't help but show a silly grin. _Wow, wow, wow! _Well, two comments down, one to go… Her eyes returned to Erik, as they seemed to like to do. She wasn't expecting much. Perhaps a nod?

She got more than that.

Erik studied her for a moment. He knew what he wanted to say, he only wondered if saying it would be too much. Finally, though, it was decided. _Rules be damned. _"Christine, that was absolutely stunning. Your expression, tonality, breath support, and the amount of feeling you put into what you were singing was worthy of professional standards. Puccini would be proud." _As am I. _

Both of Christine's eyebrows rose. She wasn't expecting _anything _like that. _Is this seriously happening? _She had a feeling she couldn't feel happier if she were to win the entire competition. Dazedly, she nodded and left the stage. _Thank you for helping me get through that, Erik, _she thought distantly while reaching for the door handle. Then, she shook her head lightly and sighed before opening the door and walking away.

Just as Christine's eyebrows rose after Erik's compliments, so did Nadir's and Madame Giry's. When the girl was gone, they immediately tried to get to the bottom of it.

"What was _that_?" Madame Giry asked, leaning over to look past Nadir at the strange man in the mask, who had just officially gotten stranger.

"What was _what_?" Erik asked, as if what he'd said was nothing out of the ordinary. He frowned at Nadir's quizzical stare. "Am I not allowed to make a comment?"

"It's not that," Nadir replied seriously, skeptically. "We want you to make comments. It's just, well, you have never made a comment quite so… grandiose. Why now?" _Why her? _he wanted to ask. Nadir wasn't deaf. He'd heard their bodyguards talking the other day about Erik speaking to a contestant. And he wasn't stupid. The contestant was undoubtedly Christine Daae.

He _had_ been thinking that he would forget the conversation between Erik and the girl, but he couldn't take it lightly _now_. Erik's elaborate compliment changed everything.

"Do you deny that she was the best we have seen today?" Erik wasn't about to falter under Nadir' pathetic attempt at being intimidating.

"Hmmm," Nadir mused.

"What?" Erik growled.

"That's enough," Madame Giry announced, stepping in. "The next performer will be here any second. He deserves our full attention."

Erik glared one last time at Nadir. _Do not even dare to meddle in matters that have nothing to do with you, Kahn. _There would be hell to pay if he did.

Little did Erik know, if things were to continue the way they were, it was going to attract more than just his two fellow judges' attention.

_Pulse _was a famous show, Erik was a famous judge, and Christine was sure to become a famous contestant. Fame attracted many things, 'gossip' being one of those things. With 'gossip' came 'news'. With 'news' came 'beliefs'. With 'beliefs' came 'truths'.

And the truth could be told very brutally indeed.

* * *

**I promise the story is going to pick up soon..**

**Sorry it's been such a long time since an update. My life has been pretty busy lately. **

**But, I hope this was at least kind of enjoyable. Reviews would be greatly appreciated, as always!**

**And thank you to everyone who read and reviewed the previous chapter. You all are the best!**

**-Lauren  
**


	8. The Edison

**Chapter 8- The Edison  
**

"You are coming to this party tonight, even if I have to drag you there," Meg stated forcefully. The person she was talking to, Christine, was lying on her hotel room bed reading a very worn copy of _Pride and Prejudice_. She flipped a page of the book and rolled her eyes in Meg's direction.

"I really don't have time to go, Meg."

"You're reading a book, Christine. It looks like you have all the time in the world."

"I'm taking a _break_. I plan on practicing more tonight."

"Why do you always have to have a schedule?" Meg huffed. "I mean, you _could _be practicing now. The party can be your break tonight."

She had a point there, but Christine honestly just didn't want to go. The reward for making it through to the next round should be to practice more, not to get wasted at some loud party. She was thrilled to still be in the competition, but now wasn't the time to celebrate. It was time to work harder than ever.

"Well?" Meg was waiting impatiently for Christine to give in.

"Why do you want me to go so bad? I get that you like partying with people, but you know I don't. Why are you demanding that I go?"

Meg sat down on her own bed and sighed. "I want you to be there when I try to talk to this guy contestant. He made it past Round 2, too, so I know he's going to be there."

Of course this was about a guy… Christine smirked. "Or maybe he's like me and has decided to practice instead." She was actually starting to give in, which would undoubtedly give Meg reason to perform her victory dance. But, giving her a hard time before then would at least be a little satisfying.

"No, he'll be there." She was sure of it. "Really, I don't know who would want to miss this. What with the judges being there and all."

That caused Christine's head to jerk towards Meg. "They are? How do you know?" Her reaction was definitely going to make Meg curious. _Darn, why does the thought of seeing Erik Destler again cause me to practically jump?_

"Whoa, settle down." She gave Christine's appearance a once over. "Why are you so excited about seeing them?" She watched as a blush rose to her friend's cheeks. "Oh, my gosh, tell me right now!"

Well, Meg was probably going to suspect something soon enough, anyway. She'd get mad if she knew it was being kept from her. _It's not a big deal, _Christine inwardly told herself. _He's just interesting. I like talking to interesting people. _"It'd just be cool to talk to Erik Destler again, that's all."

Meg's eyes widened. "What do you mean 'again'? You've talked to him before?"

_Oops… _Making it out to be trivial, Christine said, "I sort of ran into him after Round 1. We talked for maybe five minutes before his body guard found us."

Now she was beyond curious. "What? You were alone with him? And he actually talked to you? Like, he's not a jerk in real life?"

It was time to calm her gossip-crazy friend down. "We were alone together for, at the most, five minutes, Meg. Our talk was professional, nothing else. And trust me, he was his 'usual self' with his body guard."

"Because the guy interrupted your conversation!" Everything was coming together in Meg's mind, and she grinned feeling like this was the biggest news since actress Anna Bordesky was rumored to have been dating the very judge they were talking about. "Let's be honest, ok?" She gracefully jumped from her bed to the end of Christine's. "You like him."

"Wha- No, that's crazy!" Christine put her book aside and crossed her arms.

Meg could sense it, not to mention _see _it. "You're lying." Before Christine could speak, Meg continued, "It's ok, Chris. You're allowed to like a famous person. I guess he does have a weird sort of likability thing going for him.. Not that I can really see it, but whatever. It doesn't matter. What matters is that he might like you, too."

"I don't like him, Meg, and yeah right, he would never like me."

This was her chance. It was time to convince Christine to come to this party. "You don't know that for sure. He might be thinking about you non-stop. Remember telling me about the good comment he gave you after Round 2? He doesn't give _any_one comments that are over three words long. Think about it, the only way you're going to know is if you come to this party."

It worked. Simple as it was, Christine was now anxious to go. "If I go, will you stop jumping to these outrageous conclusions that I like him and he likes me?"

"Of course!" Meg had to restrain herself from doing her victory dance.

"Ok then, I'll go." She tried to keep her excitement level down, too. _Meg has made me curious, but watch him and me not even talk. Actually, watch him not even be there. He doesn't seem like the sort of person who would show up to a celebration party like this…

* * *

_

Nadir took a back step upon seeing Erik dressed and ready to go in the foyer. "You're going?" He was shocked.

"Don't I always go?" Erik snapped.

Actually, the only other time he'd gone to one of these celebrations was during the previous season. "If I remember correctly, I had to persuade you last year. You flat out refused every year prior."

Erik did recall being told that a very rare brand and year of Merlot was going to be served at the function last year. He even remembered that he had felt the need to confirm the information with the manager of the bar where it had been held. If it hadn't been for the uniqueness of that wine, he wouldn't have gone. "Yes, well, I saved you the energy this year. You're welcome."

This had nothing to do with preserving his energy and everything to do with the fact that Christine Daae _might _be there. _This is not good… _Nadir didn't want attention to be drawn to the fact that Erik favored a contestant. That would happen for sure if they were to take part in some private conversation at a bar. "Not every contestant is going to make an appearance, Erik." He didn't think it was possible for anyone to believe that lie, though. No contestant would miss this. Although the judges being there was supposed to be a surprise, Nadir was quite sure no one would want to miss a chance to celebrate their success.

"Why are you bringing the contestants into this, Kahn?" He gave him a frown and a glare. "Your accusations are ridiculous. Let's go."

Nadir mouthed the words, _Oh, no, _before reluctantly following Erik to their limousine. He'd done all he could do.

Madame Giry was waiting in the back seat when the chauffeur opened the door. "Greetings, gentlemen. And might I say, I'm surprised to see you, Erik."

"Good evening, Antoinette," Erik greeted, purposefully ignoring her surprise.

They got in and Nadir and Madame Giry proceeded to converse with one another while Erik kept to himself. Truthfully, Nadir's accusations were correct. He _was _going so that he could see a certain contestant. He only hated that his intentions were so pathetically obvious. Christine Daae was having the power to make him look like a bewitched school boy.

It didn't really matter, though. Perhaps they would talk for a moment, nothing substantial. Most likely, he would end up feeling idiotic for caring so much about something so minuscule.

* * *

"Well, it's certainly good to see all 48 of you," Chris Roberts exclaimed, speaking through a microphone on the stage of The Edison, an expensive bar in downtown Los Angeles. Pulse had rented it out for this particular event. "I suppose I should start by addressing the reason you're able to be here tonight… Congratulations for making it past Round 2! Are you ready for the Live Shows?" Loud cheering erupted from the crowd. "Yeah, that's the kind of enthusiasm I like to hear! I can't say that things are easier from here on out, but I can say that you should all be very proud of yourselves. We're very proud of you! And when I say _we_, I am referring to myself, as well as three other people who are happy to be here tonight. Your judges, Madame Giry, Nadir Kahn, and Erik Destler!"

Everyone cheered even louder when the three of them walked onstage. Two of them looked happy, as Chris had said, but Erik just looked uncomfortable.

Chris grinned before saying, "We're going to let them come out there and mingle with all of you. Enjoy!" He put the microphone back on its holder and walked offstage to join the crowd.

* * *

Christine and Meg were standing towards the back of the bar. Meg had insisted it would be easier to see everything from there. Christine, on the other hand, knew it was really only to find the male contestant she was so keen on talking to.

"Over there," Meg sort of shout-whispered to Christine.

The guy she was pointing at was good looking, Christine could see that. His looks matched Meg's type perfectly. Following Meg's lead, Christine walked towards him.

Meg then did something very uncharacteristic by talking to the guy first. Usually, she made them make the first move. Christine could only assume she was really interested if she was willing to go against her own rules.

"Hey, Jake!" Meg greeted.

Jake turned towards them. "Well, hey, Meg! It's great to see you again! Of course, I'm not surprised. I knew you'd make it through." Meg giggled and blushed. He turned his attention to Christine briefly. "You're an awesome singer. It's Christine, right?"

"Yeah. It's good to meet you." They shook hands.

The three of them stood still for a few seconds before Chris walked onstage, greeted them all, and introduced the judges.

Christine's eyes were immediately drawn to Erik. He looked handsome, but out of place next to the rest of them. Not to say that as a bad thing. To be honest, most of the female contestants looked incredibly slutty while the guys weren't dressed well enough. In Christine's opinion, Erik looked just right for the occasion. At one point, Meg caught her eye and winked, but she pretended not to notice.

When Chris finished talking and the four of them joined the celebration, things took a turn. Loud music began to play and a few people started dancing on the dance floor.

"Want to dance?" Meg asked Jake. He nodded, looking both honored and excited. "Talk to Erik," she mouthed in Christine's direction, and then they were gone.

'_That' was Meg's plan? To leave me? And with the most obvious yet impossible piece of advice she could think to give… _Christine looked around but didn't see Erik anywhere. _Great, I knew I shouldn't have come. _

There probably wasn't a chance she could just walk out, though. Not when they were downtown and all 48 of them had ridden special buses to get there. _Ok, I look like a loser standing here with nobody to talk to. _Thinking quickly, Christine walked towards the main bar and sat down with a heavy sigh.

"What can I get you?" a middle-aged bar tender asked.

For the first time in her entire life, she wished she were old enough to get a 'real' drink. "Can I have a Dr. Pepper?"

"Not 21?" he asked with a gentle smile.

"Not yet, unfortunately." He laughed and moved to get her drink.

"Do you truly wish for something stronger?"

Christine's head darted to the left and her eyes widened. Erik Destler was standing behind the bar stool next to her. "H-hi," she stuttered.

He laughed. Comparing his laugh to the bar tender's, she found she preferred his. "Hi," he returned. "I was actually serious when I asked if you would like something stronger to drink."

She blinked but then regained control and smirked. "Willing to break the law, Mr. Destler?" She was actually kidding, but he seemed to be serious.

Erik wasn't terribly concerned with the law at the moment. All that really mattered was her happiness. But, saying so was pushing it. "I suppose not," he replied with a small mischievous smile.

"Mmhmm, sure," she teased. Christine was feeling pretty comfortable now. …Although, did he really not see a problem with giving alcohol to a minor? She laughed, not really caring. She knew not to do the wrong thing, meaning she knew not to accept it if he offered it.

He winked and whispered, "Will you not tell anyone?"

Christine laughed even harder. She found his sense of humor to be a very pleasant surprise.

Still whispering, he reminded her, "Oh, and remember to call me Erik. Alright, Christine?"

She nodded, still smiling. "Ok, Erik."

"It's very good to see you again."

"It's very good to see you again, too. I was told you don't come to these sorts of things often." Actually, Christine remembered being really angry with Meg when she told her that on their bus ride over to The Edison.

"Yes, well, it helps when I feel like there's a reason to come."

Christine didn't want to let herself insinuate anything by that, but it was pretty obvious…

"You don't have to overthink it," he whispered with a grin.

"Right," she said quickly, unable to contain a blush or her giddiness. "So, what are you going to drink?"

"Merlot," Erik said, both to her and the bar tender who was close-by. He removed a bottle from the wine shelf and showed Erik the label. "Yes. Good choice, James." Turning back to Christine, he said, "I've known James for several years now."

She wondered just how often he drank here and didn't really know how to respond.

"He's a friend," Erik elaborated. Her unsure expression caused him to chuckle. "You must be thinking I'm some sort of alcoholic." James returned at about that time. "Will you reassure her?"

James nodded before smiling and saying, "He's an alcoholic."

Erik let out a forced murmur of shock, and Christine laughed seeing that they were both joking.

"See if I give you a good tip tonight," Erik mumbled before turning his attention to Christine.

"Only kidding!" James said quickly, but they weren't focused on him any longer. He looked from one to the other. "I'll let you two talk."

"You look lovely," Erik complimented softly.

Christine was beginning to wonder just how many glasses of Merlot he'd downed before coming to talk to her. Not that she didn't like the way he was acting, but it was just so odd. "Thank you."

Her thoughts seemed to clear her head and return her to reality somewhat. She glanced around. Something immediately came to her attention. "Um, do you get the feeling that people are watching us? Because they are." At least fifteen pairs of eyes were staring at them.

Her observation seemed to snap Erik out of his comfort zone. He looked around and noticed the same thing. "Indeed, you're right." His eyes narrowed at all of them, and especially at Nadir who was standing fairly nearby. "Well, I think I'm going to leave now." Erik didn't _want _to go, but he didn't want to stay with all these people around either. It seemed the public was going to win, yet again.

The sudden look of sadness in her eyes made his heart ache. "Would you-" He was about to ask if she would like to go with him, but it was entirely out of the question.

He was beginning to understand Nadir's thoughts on the matter, although the man had never really discussed his feelings aloud.

_We live in two different worlds. She, the beautiful yet unknown contestant. Me, the hideous yet well-known judge. True, the world will soon know her, and by then she will be entirely out of reach. But, while she is still so innocent to the world of fame, I will not ruin it by allowing the paparazzi to see us together. One horror story about us could tear her apart. _

It made sense. Erik sighed in acceptance. "Thank you for making this night memorable, Christine." And, with that, he walked away.

He was gone. She was all alone again. Not for long, though. It was obvious that a number of people were about to approach her, most of which she didn't know, but it was the one closest to her that caused her to gasp. _Why is Nadir Kahn practically running towards me? And what's with the angry look on his face?

* * *

_

**More to come soon!**

**Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! This story is a lot of fun to write, and reading reviews makes it that much more fun :D**

**Please review!**

**-Lauren**


	9. Choices

**Chapter 9- Choices  
**

Christine looked from Nadir Kahn's angry face to the faces of fellow contestants around her. It was as if there were a spot light on both of them, because _everyone _was watching.

All too soon, he was in front of her. She gulped as the famous Nadir Kahn stared down at her.

"May I talk to you in private?" he asked quietly.

She could only nod completely unaware of what the problem was. He then walked past her and she followed him into another room. He closed the door behind them.

Christine looked at him with questioning eyes once they were alone and in silence. She watched as he took a few deep breaths, apparently trying to calm himself down. "I- is something wrong?" she asked timidly.

Nadir's entire demeanor seemed to change as he studied her. Anyone could see that she was a good kid. She didn't know she was making a mess of things. His eyes became softer as he replied, "Yes, I'm afraid something is very wrong." He paused before bluntly saying, "What you are doing with Erik Destler is highly inappropriate. Perhaps you are not aware, but being that you're a contestant, having relations with one of the judges is, for lack of a better term, _forbidden_. It cannot continue."

Christine's eyes widened. He thought she was forming a relationship with Erik? It was outrageous. She and Erik were acquaintances, nothing more. She had to tell him the truth. "Mr. Kahn, I don't know what has made you think there's something going on between the two of us, but I'm being serious when I say there's not. I've only spoken to Erik a couple of times-"

"Yet, you call him 'Erik'?"

_Oops.. _"I only call him that because he told me to. Believe me, I barely know him. He's a famous judge, I'm a contestant. I know my place."

It was obvious that she did know her place. This girl was genuine and honest. Nadir couldn't keep accusing her. Erik, however… Well, perhaps _he _was the one who was in the wrong. Maybe he was taking things too far. But, even if that was the case, Christine could be the one to end it, even if 'it' was nothing to her.

"All I ask is that you do not help in creating a sticky situation. Perhaps you and Erik are only acquaintances, but that isn't what it looks like on the outside. If you are not careful, reporters will suspect something."

Christine hadn't considered that. Their friendly occasional conversations could make headlines? This was crazy! "What should I do?"

"You shouldn't take part in private conversations with him. He should be judging you based on your voice and nothing else."

She nodded. "Ok, no problem."

Nadir was aware of the fact that others had seen them go into the room they were in. "Well, let's not make the people outside this room wonder what we are doing. Thank you for being so agreeable. Enjoy the rest of the party."

He left the room quickly, and Christine was left staring at a wall wondering why she'd ever agreed to come to this party in the first place.

* * *

Pulse continued to move forward. The 48 contestants that had gone to the celebration at the Edison were becoming less and less week by week. And much to their excitement both Meg and Christine were still in. By the judges' continuous opinion, they were both in the lead.

Meg was thrilled and confident. Christine, on the other hand, was still wondering when her luck was going to run out. Surely she was receiving all these compliments due to luck… But, she couldn't allow herself to think like that right now. It was week six of the competition, and it was almost her turn to go. Mozart's _Queen of the Night_- an aria that was supposed to be sung with the utmost confidence.

She needed to nail it like Meg had nailed her performance earlier in the day.

Chris approached her, and the usual routine began. An introductory 'hello', a video her her explaining her song choice for the audience to see, and her walk to the stage.

The judges greeted her, and then the aria began.

Everything was going well until… Christine's voice wavered unattractively on the last note. Surprise overtook her, and her voice cracked before breaking off completely.

It was a horrible ending to what was supposed to be a beautiful piece of music.

Christine was crushed. She'd blown everything. No way would she be back next week…

Nadir spoke first. "Well, at least we know you're still human." He chuckled. "Everyone makes mistakes, and yours was minor. We all know what an extraordinary singer you are. Overall, it was excellent. Believe me, I am still a fan."

His words were meant to be uplifting, but Christine just felt embarrassed. _Minor or not, it was still noticeable._

Madame Giry seemed to feel the same as Nadir. "For the most part, it was stunning. No one's perfect." She smiled. "I thought you did a fantastic job."

It was Erik's turn to speak. Ever since the Edison, his judging comments had been simple and to the point. Obviously, Nadir had spoken to him about their 'relations', and obviously he'd agreed with Nadir about not letting it continue.

"Christine," Erik addressed her warmly. She looked surprised by his tone. "Nadir is right, everyone makes mistakes. You must not dwell on it. Let this convince you of what a truly amazing artist you are. The key is self-confidence. You are full of doubt, and for the first time, there was evidence of that. You not knowing how truly talented you are is very appealing, yes, but at this point in the competition you need to believe in yourself. Ok?" He watched her with intensity.

Nadir inwardly frowned while listening to his co-worker. _Erik, what are you doing?_

Christine actually _felt _what he said, she didn't just hear it. How wonderful and beneficial it would be to sit down and talk to him… But, thinking realistically, his words would have to be enough. "Ok," she replied, a determined look on her face. "Thank you," she said to all three of them before leaving the stage.

Erik wanted one thing after hearing Christine sing. He wanted to meet with her. _There's only so much that can be conveyed while acting as a judge. I could tell her much more in person. _

To meet with her could present problems, though. Nadir had thoroughly laid out the problems that could arise.

'_Erik, you would lose your reputation, your job, your privacy… It would be detrimental. And all for a mere contestant?'_

Nadir had even told him Christine's take on the matter.

'_The girl says she barely knows you, that the two of you are acquaintances, nothing more. She has agreed to stop meeting with you privately.' _

And Nadir's final words to him about it had been, _'I only want what is best for you.' _

That was just it, though… Erik wanted what was best for Christine, just like Nadir wanted what was best for him. Erik wanted her to be happy.

Speaking of happiness, Erik hadn't really been happy since that night at the Edison. Nadir's claim of wanting what was best for him seemed to be inaccurate. Happiness was the best thing for him, and Erik wasn't happy while feeling like he couldn't talk to Christine. To talk to her would be beneficial for both of them.

It was settled, then. He _would _see her again. Nadir could just get over it. And so could anyone else who cared. This was about his and Christine's happiness and not about others' opinions. _This is _my _choice, not theirs._

* * *

**Thank you for the reviews I've received for this story! I'm sorry it's taken so long for an update, and I'm sorry this chapter wasn't long.. **

**I will try to update soon.**

**Please review!**

**-Lauren  
**


	10. Confessions

**Chapter 10- Confessions**

"Ok, how much are you going to practice that song? Seriously, you've sung it at least 50 times by now. You need a break," Meg said, marching into the room of the Kodak Theatre Christine was using to practice in.

Christine just wasn't in the mood to stop. "I'll practice until I think it's good enough to get me through. Let's face it Meg, I'm lucky to still be here. I should've been kicked off last week." Just the thought of it made her want to get back to practicing.

"We've been through this Christine. You still sang beautifully. You put everything you had into that performance. One mistake is sometimes a good thing. It makes viewers realize that you are a 19 year old girl who isn't always going to get everything right."

"I guess they might have pitied me," she reflected.

Meg sighed, frustrated. "Nobody pities you. You're so talented, they _envy _you."

"They can't envy that performance." Christine shook her head. "Anyway, I'll be done soon." That was a lie. "I'll find you later." That too was probably as lie, as her friend would probably be in bed asleep by the time she was finished practicing.

Sighing again, Meg left the room. She wasn't about to practice her routine anymore. Too much practice could be a negative thing…

* * *

Erik entered the Kodak Theatre looking as inconspicuous as he possibly could. He had a full-faced black mask on and a hooded jacket covering his upper body and head.

Perhaps he looked like a burglar, but oh well.

He just had to know if Christine was practicing. Something told him she was probably practicing a lot and that she'd most likely chosen a room in this building. Other contestants practiced here. It only made sense that she would do the same.

It was nearing 11:00 pm, which was rather late, but still he had a feeling she would be here. She was a dedicated performer. It showed that she practiced constantly.

He slid around a corner rather glad that the hallways were fairly dark. There were a line of rooms down the hall that could be considered dressing rooms. For Pulse, however, they served as practice rooms.

Everything was very quiet as he walked, and he was sad and disappointed to realize she wasn't here.

But then, the most radiant sound filled his ears. It was her, and she sounded amazing. Erik slowed to a stop when he was in front of her practice room.

Then, he stood still while thinking. _I'd planned on simply knocking on the door and greeting her when she opened it, but would that be wise? It would look as though I am stalking her. _He knew that was exactly the case, but for her to know could present problems.

And what if she didn't want visitors? What if what Nadir had said was true, that she thought of him as an acquaintance and nothing more?

Erik sighed. Such conflict. He knew what _he _wanted, but he also wanted to do what was best for her. He wouldn't know what was best for her if he didn't find out for himself, though.

It was decided.

He lowered the hood from his head and determinedly reached out to knock on her door. At the last second, his hand hesitated slightly, but finally he went for it.

Christine was surprised by the knock, but she fully expected it to be Meg. _I'm almost done, _she thought, prepared to tell her that when she opened the door.

"Meg-," she began, but her words came to a halt when she saw who it really was. It was Erik! True, the full-faced mask should have made her question his identity at first, but that wasn't the case. Christine immediately knew who it was based on the air he gave off. "Erik," she squeaked in shock.

Erik found himself becoming nervous and feeling that he shouldn't have done things the way he did. But, he couldn't show it. That would show a complete lack of control. "Hello," he began. "I'm sorry to startle you."

Her eyes must have been huge, but Christine couldn't help it. This appearance was totally out of the blue. _I must look terrible after all this practicing.. _He was the most famous judge on the planet, and she was a tired, sweaty mess. "I- it's ok," she stuttered. She didn't know what to say after that.

"I heard you practicing, so I thought I would stop by."

_Oh. Well, that makes sense… kind of. It's almost 11:00 pm, though. What on earth could he be doing here at this hour? And in that mask? _It was all a little strange. "Yeah, I was just finishing up."

"You are here rather late," Erik observed.

_So are you, _Christine thought. "I wanted to practice as much as possible for tomorrow."

Erik nodded. "You're truly dedicated. But, you do need rest."

She blushed. "I was just about to leave, actually."

This was his chance. "Do you mind if I walk you back to the hotel? It's late. I'd prefer it if you didn't walk alone."

Christine smiled at that. _He's a true gentleman. _"Sure, that's be nice." _I can't believe 'he's' going to walk me back. _Thoughts like that couldn't help but emerge. She quickly gathered her things and joined Erik in the hallway.

Erik began putting the hood back on his head as they neared the exit. "Do you mind?" he asked politely.

"No, not at all," she relied a little awkwardly.

"It minimizes others' attention, as you can guess. One never knows when paparazzi are lurking." They stepped out into the fresh night air. "How long have you practiced today?"

She thought about it and realized she'd actually spent the whole day in that practice room. "Um, I'd say… about 14 hours. I didn't sing for all that time, of course, but I studied my music when I wasn't singing."

Erik's eyes widened. It was longer than he'd even expected. He hoped she hadn't _over-_practiced. "I believe that's the longest any contestant has practiced so far."

"I don't know, there's some really hard-working competitors this year."

"Well, none of them compare to _you_," he said without thinking. He instantly wished he hadn't been so forward. Glancing at her, he noticed that she was smiling, so maybe it was ok. Actually, he felt he knew why she was practicing so much. "You're still lingering on last week's performance." It wasn't a question.

Christine's smile faded. "Yeah… I mean, I'm lucky to still be here. Lack week was a nightmare."

Erik thought about how to phrase what he wanted to say next. "It's not about luck, Christine. I've been judging long enough to know that at this stage in the competition the true stars are revealed and the others are let go."

He sighed feeling that she wasn't believing him. "I understand that last week must have felt like a nightmare to you, but try not to think that the viewers feel the same. We don't." It was time to really be direct. "In all honesty, I am probably the most judgmental person you will ever meet. My reputation is not a lie in that respect. I'm brutally honest, too. So, believe me when I say this. _No one _compares to you. Quite frankly, the competition is a bit laughable. Aside from you. You are the most talented person here. And the fact that you obviously don't know it or think so is very odd.. but appealing." In a soft voice he added, "You can and probably will win."

Christine gasped. "You really think so? I- I don't know. If tomorrow doesn't go well, I think I'll get kicked off. What you said is really nice, but the thing about it is, it's up to viewers now. And the viewers probably think Meg's the best."

"But, she's not." Erik smiled behind the mask. "I don't think I will ever be able to convince you of the talent you possess, but I will not ever stop trying." They'd made it to the hotel. At this point, Erik felt the need to be completely honest. He didn't want to hide what he was feeling any longer. He had to hide enough of himself as it was. With Christine, he wanted to do things right. What he was about to do felt right. "I didn't just happen to be at the Theatre and stumble upon your practice room tonight, Christine."

She blinked up at him as they stopped walking. "You didn't?"

He gazed into her innocent eyes. "No. I wanted to see you. I was there intentionally." He paused. "You see, I've… changed. There's no better way to say it. This season, everything is different. I do not feel as empty and cold-hearted as I know I once was. It's because of you," he explained. "You've changed me. I didn't know it was possible. I- I've never felt this way before. Every time I see you, it's as if the sun has risen. The moment you stepped onto the Fox Theater stage in Atlanta, I was captivated. You continue to captivate me. I care for you very deeply, Christine."

She looked to be stunned, frozen, and perhaps dizzy from the new information. "I do not expect you to feel what I feel," Erik said quickly. "You probably think we are nothing more than acquaintances, and if that is the way you want it to stay, I understand completely. I know this is sudden. If you wish, we can pretend I never said anything."

Everything was happening so quickly that Christine had to hold up a hand to stop it. He immediately stopped speaking and she slowly lowered her hand. _What is going on? H- he… _"You.. _like _me?" It seemed unfathomable. It seemed like some sort of weird joke. It just seemed like a dream.

He let out the breath he seemed to have been holding. Yes. Very much."

"But…" Christine's eyes drifted. "But, you're _you_. You're _Erik Destler. _I'm just an unknown contestant-"

"You won't be unknown forever," Erik cut in.

She still couldn't look at him, although she felt him looking at her. "Even if that's the case, I'm just a college student trying to suppose my sick father right now… I'm no different or better than anyone else. I'm sorry, but I don't understand this at all." It was as simple as that.

Erik had to somehow make her understand. She meant so much, yet she was completely unaware. She _was _different. She _was _better. "Do you remember our first private encounter. It had been a surprise to both of us. Your surprise wasn't the same as others' surprise always is upon seeing me, though. Whereas others look at Madame Giry and Nadir Kahn with envy, as if they hope to be them someday, they look at me with fear and nervousness. They always seem afraid that I might lose all control and attack them. Of course, it is all based on appearance."

He was now getting very personal. His discomfort was immense, almost overwhelmingly so. He had to continue or his confession would be all for nothing. "If I looked like everyone else, they would envy me, too, even with my bad reputation. As it is, all I see is fear and disgust in their eyes. You were different. Your eyes didn't make me want to turn away or react with hostility. I could see that you were looking past my appearance. And what's more, you treated me like a _person, _not some sort of monster."

It was almost all out in the open now. If only she would stop looking so shocked. "You truly have no idea or just how special you are… Each conversation we've had has shown me what it's like to feel accepted. You make me feel like what I really am: a man with a heart. When I'm judging your performances, I feel that you are the only contestant who understand and really listens to what I am saying. It's refreshing and it makes me realize that you are much more than a competitor to me. You're the answer to a lifetime of wishes."

Christine could feel something happening inside her. Yes, part of that 'something' was feeling special, it was always that, but there was more to it… "We haven't talked privately much at all. I told Mr. Kahn specifically that I would never talk to you privately again." Finally she looked at him, and looking into his eyes, that was all she needed. The 'something' that was happening inside her was more of a realization than anything else. "I can't keep that promise, though. I don't want to." Christine shook her head and blushed. "I like you too much for that."

She laughed a little. "Maybe we haven't talked privately much, but as you said, each time has been so special. You're right, I don't see you how you say other people see you. You're a person with real feelings and emotions. You are so much more than a judge with a reputation of being harsh." Christine let out an exasperated sigh. "I- I don't know how to say this. You put everything so well, I'm kind of at a loss for words-"

Erik took the opportunity to pull her into a hug. He'd wanted to for so long now. He wrapped one arm around her while stroking her beautiful curly hair with the other. "You've said everything I have ever wanted to hear," he whispered, resting his chin on top of her head lightly. "I never thought…" He sighed and let his eyes close. "I never thought you would return my feelings." _Although, you can never feel the depth of what I feel for you… _

"I never thought you would like me," Christine said softly, wrapping her arms tightly around him.

"How could I not? You are exquisite."

"You're wonderful," she breathed.

A little while later, Erik acknowledged while still holding her against him," This has all happened rather quickly."

Christine's lips curled upward. "I know. But, these things do happen."

"Yes," Erik agreed with a small smile. They ended their hug and held each other's hand instead. "I have now openly admitted to having feelings for a contestant," he chuckled.

That's when Christine eyes widened. Reality struck. "Erik, we have to be careful. If anyone were to find out.." She shuddered at the thought.

"Yes, I have already considered it. We have to keep this hidden until the season ends."

"That might be hard." Her face contorted into a pout. "I want to be able to see you."

He laughed thinking she was adorable. "Don't worry, angel, we will still be able to see each other. As long as I look as inconspicuous as possible, no one will ever know. We can see each other exactly like this."

"You're sure?' Christine wasn't as confident about it as he seemed to be.

"I'm sure." He looked into her eyes seriously and then hugged her again. "This has been the most glorious night of my life, but I'm afraid I am preventing you from getting proper rest."

She didn't want to leave, but perhaps he was right. "I'll see you tomorrow?" She was already nervous, but the new discovery of their feelings for one another was bringing about a new sort of confidence she wasn't used to.

"And you will be magnificent," Erik said without a hint of doubt. They hugged again. "Christine?"

"Hmm?" she question against his chest.

"Can you be in a practice room tomorrow night at 11?"

"Mm-hmm," she nodded.

They parted after a finally squeeze and smiled at each other adoringly before leaving one another for the night.

Their thoughts were of each other.

Everything was perfect.

* * *

"Perfect," a male reporter wearing very discreet clothing whispered from behind a thick layer of bushes once the targets of his spying were gone. He turned off and packed up his video camera and regular camera before walking with a kick in his step towards his vehicle.

Who knew tonight would be his big break? Being new to the world of celebrity reporting, his assignments were seemingly impossible.

Well, the impossible was possible. This story would be _huge_. 'Erik Destler Secretly Dating Female _Pulse_ Contestant'. _Not so secret anymore, _he thought with a smirk.

Not only did he have pictures, but he had video with sound. Erik Destler's voice could be heard clearly and so could the girl's.

_I'll be getting one hell of a raise. _His eyes were triumphant. _First thing in the morning, the boss will be planning a party in 'my' honor._

He sped off towards the office to prepare his big story.

* * *

**Well, for some reason I felt like putting everything out in the open in this chapter. I hope it proved to be enjoyable.**

**Thank you so, so much for the reviews! I really do appreciate each one I receive.**

**Please review!**

**-Lauren  
**


	11. News Spreads Quickly

**Chapter 11- News Spreads Quickly**

For David, the news reporter who had caught sight of Erik Destler and Christine Daae hugging the night before, it was turning out to be a great day. He was famous amongst his boss and all of his coworkers, just as he knew he would be.

For the judges and competitors of Pulse, however, the day was quickly turning into a nightmare. It all started at Erik and Nadir's shared hotel suite...

It was about 6:00 am. Nadir was drinking his third cup of coffee while browsing through the newspaper when his cell phone on the coffee table in front of him suddenly rang.

"This is Nadir," he began, picking up the call.

"Have you seen today's paper?" came a tense male voice on the other line.

Nadir frowned at the phone. It was his agent. "I'm looking at it now."

"Well, I'd hate to be the bearer of bad news, but look at the top of page eight."

He flipped through the pages quickly, unable to come up with what this could possibly be about.

It was the Entertainment section, and there on the top of the page was a large picture of Erik embracing Christine. A look of pure horror came across Nadir's face.

There was silence as Nadir processed what he was looking at. Then, he spoke again in a low voice. "I have to go." He ended the call and began reading the article, which was underneath the picture. The headline said it all, though.

_Erik Destler Secretly Dating Female 'Pulse' Contestant_

After reading through the article, Nadir stood, clenching the paper in one hand and stomping towards Erik's room.

Erik was sleeping peacefully for the first time ever. But, that came to an abrupt end when Nadir threw open the door. He sat bolt upright.

"How could you?" Nadir belted.

His obvious anger was a little alarming. Erik stood and smoothed his clothing. "How could I 'what'?" he asked sharply.

"You're ruined, finished. And it's all because of this." Nadir slammed the paper onto Erik's desk and crossed his arms before walking away. "Page eight."

Still annoyed, Erik moved towards his desk and opened the paper to the Entertainment section. The picture immediately caught his full attention. He read the headline above it and felt his heart begin to pound.

He and Christine had been seen. They'd been photographed. Their conversation had been overheard.

Immense concern overtook him then, but it wasn't concern for himself. It was concern for Christine. His job and reputation be damned. She was all that mattered.

He picked up his cell phone and dialed the number of the hotel she was staying at. The woman at the front desk connected him to Christine's room, and after a moment, she answered.

"Hello?" Christine asked. It was obvious that she'd just woken up.

"Christine, it's Erik."

"Oh! Hi," she said, becoming shy.

He knew the brief moment of their shared happiness was about to come to an end. All hell was about to break loose. "I'm sorry, Christine. I'm so sorry." The words came out without thinking.

Now she was worried. _Sorry? Oh no.. _"For what?"

"For what I'm about to tell you. I thought it would be best for you to hear it from me first... Christine, someone saw us last night. A reporter. An article and picture have been posted in today's paper."

Christine could barely believe what she was hearing. Was she still asleep and this was just a horrible nightmare? "W- what?"

"I'm so, _so _sorry. I never meant to hurt you."

"Hurt me?" She felt like she was in a sort of daze.

Erik had to get through to her and make her see the reality of the situation, no matter how painful it was. "Yes. This news is going to... jeopardize the competition. I am a judge, you are a contestant. Once word gets out, people will suspect that I've had favoritism based on the article."

"But..." Christine didn't really know what to say. "Isn't there a way to stop it?"

His angel was panicking. Oh, how he hated to hear such fear and desperation in her voice. He would do anything to fix this... "There may be one way."

She knew what he was about to say. He was about to take back his feelings for her. She wanted to cry just thinking about it.

"I'll quit. I'll stop judging the competition."

Christine gasped, totally not expecting to hear that. "Wha- No! No, you can't!"

"Why?"

"Because, I should be the one to quit. Judging is your career. I can't be the cause of you quitting your job."

"No, Christine. What I do is unimportant. _You're _the one who matters. Don't you see? You can win this. And when you do, you will be able to help your father and concentrate on your voice."

"But, I don't have a chance now, do I? Now that everything's out in the open, nobody will want to voice for me." She hated to sound so negative, but it was true.

"My hope it that people will be understanding. They should see my resignation as the right thing to do and forgive the situation."

Christine had a feeling that was just wishful thinking. "Maybe," she whispered. It was time to approach the most important part, though. "Where does this leave us?" She had to ready herself for disappointment. He might want to end things.

That she could even this of an 'us' right now caused his heart to swell with joy. "Once I am not associated with the competition any longer, I was hoping we could pick up where we left off."

Christine actually smiled. "Really?"

"Yes, really. Except, we would not have to hide."

It sounded perfect. Well, _that _part, and only that part, sounded perfect. "I still can't believe you're willing to give up judging..."

It was Erik's turn to smile. Really, resigning didn't matter to him. "You're all that matters," he murmured honestly.

All of this was still so new, but Christine felt the same as Erik. Her feelings were very intense. "So, what's going to happen now?" she asked softly.

"I'll resign publicly. I want to do it before things get too out of control. You need to warm up and practice. You perform today, remember? This cannot take precedence over your performance."

Had all of this not happened, she would be warming up right now. As it was, she probably wasn't going to get much of a chance to practice. Most likely, she was going to have a lot of explaining to do.

"Well, I suppose I should go now," Erik said. "Please don't worry. Just focus on your music. That's all I ask."

"Ok."

"I will get in touch with you later," he promised.

"That sounds good. Bye for now."

"Goodbye, darling." Erik hung up his phone and got dressed. He had a lot to do.

Christine place the phone back on its hook. And that's when she noticed Meg staring at her, wide awake.

"What's going on, Christine?" she demanded to know.

"I- I..." Was Meg mad? She certainly sounded like she was. But, Christine had hoped she would be the one understanding person in all this.

"Where's the newspaper?" Meg stood up and then decided, "Nevermind, let's see if it's on TV."

She must have overheard the entire conversation, both ends of it.

Meg flipped through the stations until she landed on a channel specifically for celebrity gossip. Erik and Christine were the top story.

"Meg-"

Meg shh'ed her and listened intently to the broadcaster. There was real footage of their meeting last night, as well as pictures. It seemed the reporter had done a thorough job spying.

When a commercial came on a few minutes later, Meg turned to Christine and asked, "How could you?" She felt very hurt.

"Meg, it's really not what you think. We just told each other our feelings last night for the first time. This hasn't been going on for any amount of time. They cut that part out. Seriously, we haven't been 'seeing' each other. I would never try to cheat like that."

"You all but told me before the party at the Edison that you liked him. Then there was that flashy meeting between the two of you at the party. It's obvious what's been going on!"

"What do you mean?"

"You've been sleeping with the judge to get ahead in the competition!"

Christine was beyond shocked that she would resort to something like that. "Why would you say that? You know me, Meg! I would _never _do something like that!"

"Yeah, maybe you wouldn't have before Pulse, but it's obvious you've changed."

Now Christine was becoming angry and defensive. "Just listen to yourself. I think _you're _the one who's changed."

Meg glared at her. "Well, you think _my _reaction's bad? Just wait until _everybody _knows. You don't stand a chance."

Christine knew she was referring to the competition and tears came to her eyes. "I don't have to take this." She went to the sliding glass door leading to their balcony and went outside to get away from the person she _thought _was her best friend.

Meg simply let out a short huff before changing clothes and leaving to go practice. She was going to do whatever it took to beat Christine.

By 10:00 am the news was out. _Everyone _knew. What was worse, they all seemed to be angry about it. Every look Christine got was one of spite, and she'd gotten a lot of looks like that.

She'd warmed up a little, but it wasn't productive. It seemed Christine couldn't stop worrying about everything. From the looks of it, no one was going to be understanding.

It was going to take a true miracle to get her through this...

Suddenly, a voice came over the intercom of the Kodak Theatre where all the competitors were. "All contestant, please report to the main auditorium. Again, all contestants report to the main auditorium."

Christine had a feeling she knew what this was about. Erik was about to resign. She could only hope this wasn't going to end up being a huge mistake.

* * *

**I am SO sorry it's been such a long time... I have been busy, it's not a lie. I've gotten engaged, I've quit a job, I've moved twice, I've gotten another job, I quit that job, and I've gotten yet another job that has kept me really busy.**

**It just takes sitting down and really putting my mind to work to get a chapter written. And now, after doing just that, I'm thinking, 'why did it take this long to get an update out?' Sorry again!**

**If any of you are still reading, please review! :)**

**Thanks!**

**-Lauren**


	12. The Big Announcement

**Chapter 12- The Big Announcement  
**

It was obvious that most of the contestants had suspicions of what was happening due to all the talking Christine could hear. She was sitting in the back of the auditorium trying to stay as inconspicuous as possible while everyone else was sitting closer to the stage, but their loud voices were still incredibly audible.

Christine sighed feeling very alone. All of the negative attention she was receiving was beginning to weigh on her, even though she was trying to remember what Erik had said on the phone. She was_trying_ to stay strong and focused on the competition. It wasn't working, though..

She tried to tune out the others and focus on the stage.

Once it looked like everyone was settled, Chris walked onstage. The contestants quieted down immediately, all attention focused on him.

"Good morning, everyone," Chris announced, his bright tone still shining through despite the situation. "We apologize for having to disturb your practice time, but there is an announcement that needs to be made."

Erik Destler suddenly walked onstage to where Chris was standing without waiting for any sort of introduction. Everything around Christine seemed to disappear, both literally and in her mind, as Erik took center stage.

"I'll let Erik take it from here," Chris said before handing him the microphone.

Erik had never really chosen to be the center of attention before. Standing onstage holding a microphone was foreign to him, and he now understood how the contestants must feel when it's their turn to perform. He took a deep calming breath to regain control. Looking around, he wished he could see Christine. She was the only person who could make this situation easier. She had to be somewhere in the auditorium. Perhaps she was sitting in the back... Focusing on that belief, he began, "I'm standing in front of you this morning because I feel it appropriate that you should be the first to know what I am about to say. After giving it a lot of thought, I have decided to step down from judging Pulse."

Christine felt her heart hammering. She barely heard the whispers begin again. Guilt. That was what she was feeling.

"Before you begin to form opinions on the matter, I would like to say a few things." Erik's tone was very serious. Everyone became quiet again. "No matter what you have heard, read, and seen, I want to make this very clear. Do not fall for what the press is saying. Yes, a reporter witnessed something last night that came as a surprise to all of you, but I can assure you that he had a false take on it. I did meet with a contestant, but I am being completely honest when I say that it was the first time I have ever met with her alone. I was responsible for seeking her out. She had no idea. And let me say this- My feelings for this contestant have not caused favoritism throughout this season of Pulse. I have given compliments to those that deserve them. I am not and have never been biased. I know talent when I see it and I judge appropriately. I do not mix personal feelings with judging."

The whispering began again, but Erik spoke over it. "There are many reasons for my resignation. I do not wish to explain them, for I believe they are personal, but I feel this is the right thing to do." Now it was time to say what he thought was of the most importance. "I do not want _any_ of you to blame what is happening on the situation that occurred last night. A contestant and I shared, for the first time, a moment of happiness. My resignation really should have occurred before the season began and I am sorry it didn't. I only wish a meeting that should have been private had not caused such an uproar. I must admit that I am disappointed in the world of entertainment." Before handing the microphone back to Chris, he ended with, "Thank you and good luck to you all." Then, after giving Chris the microphone, Erik left the stage.

"Well then," Chris said with a smile, trying to lighten the atmosphere, "We will all miss Erik Destler and wish him the best."

Christine couldn't pay attention to whatever else he was saying. Her thoughts were focused on Erik. _That must have been so hard for him.. _She knew he didn't like being the center of attention. She also couldn't help feeling that she was reason behind it. Erik handled the situation beautifully and said all the right things. Christine just hated that there was any sort of 'situation' to begin with.

She stood and left the auditorium before anyone else wanting to avoid the stares and whispers. Truthfully, she didn't really think anyone would listen to what Erik had said. They would probably all still blame her... Oh, how she wished she could talk to her dad. She missed him a lot.. But she really needed to practice.

"Christine!"

Christine stopped walking halfway down the hall and turned to see none other than Meg walking towards her. Her face fell. _Let the accusations begin..._

Meg caught up to her. "Hey." There was silence. "Let's go somewhere a little more private."

Christine followed her without saying anything. Her friend didn't sound as bitter as she had earlier, but Christine couldn't trust it.

They ended up in one of the practice rooms and Meg closed the door.

"Look," she began, her eyes downcast. "I- I'm sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have accused you of something so awful. I think I was just.. jealous." She sighed. "I mean, not only are you going to win, but now one of the judges has feelings for you, too. It's not fair." She laughed a little. "I'm really sorry, Christine.."

Wow, so Meg wasn't mad at her anymore? That was surprising. What she'd said earlier had really hurt... But-.. "What changed your mind?"

"Well, I didn't listen to you this morning. I listened to Erik, though. Everybody did. I believe him and I should have believed you. You're my best friend, Christine, and I was horrible. I can't believe I said that you've changed. If anything, you're right that _I _have. I didn't act like a best friend should.."

Christine waited a moment before finally saying, "It's okay.. I can understand your feelings, I guess. Although, we don't know that I'm going to win. After all of this I wouldn't be surprised if I'm kicked off this week."

"You won't be," Meg reassured. "I'm pretty sure most of the people in there believed Erik, and I know it's going to be all over the news. You'll be fine, I guarantee it."

"Thanks." She didn't really believe her, but maybe it was better not to dwell on it. "And you haven't changed. I was just mad when I said that." They looked at each other in understanding before Christine began laughing. "Maybe we can just blame the way you acted on your always being so cranky in the morning."

"Hey now," Meg protested with a joking smile. "I guess you _are_ my best friend, though. You know me better than anyone." She shrugged while laughing. "So we're good now?"

"Yeah, we're good."

Meg was really relieved. "Thank goodness... I really didn't want to lose you. I wanted to talk to you about something, too. The competition. It's getting closer and closer to the end. I just.. I want to be sure we're still going to be best friends when it's over."

Christine blinked. "Why wouldn't we be?"

"Well, if one of us gets farther than the other.. I'm sure it'll be you, but if it's me.. I just want to be sure there won't be hard feelings."

She shook her head. "There won't be. Seriously, if we could make it through what happened this morning, we can definitely make it through the rest of this." They grinned at each other.

"I guess we should both get to practicing. We can talk about everything 'Erik' later." Meg winked. "You're going to be great! I can see it in your eyes that you don't think so, but I _know _so."

"You'll be better," Christine yelled right before Meg left the room.

When she was gone, Christine let out a sigh of relief. She was so glad she still had Meg as a best friend. Being all alone in this really would have sucked.

"Time to get to work," she said aloud with set determination. She'd be onstage soon and she wanted to do well. Her reason for wanting to win still remained, after all. Christine needed a million dollars to help her father. Maybe she wouldn't win, but no matter what, she was going to try her best.

So she'd sing to the best of her ability. And then, later tonight, she'd be able to talk to Erik again. They had a lot to talk about and a long way to go before they could have a normal relationship, if they could _ever _have a 'normal' relationship.

But, truth be told, things weren't nearly as bad as they had been earlier.

In fact, Christine was beginning to believe that she really could do well and, hopefully, earn enough votes to keep her in the competition. With that, she began warming up.


	13. Remembering the Purpose

**Chapter 13- Remembering the Purpose**

"I just want you to know, I believe what Erik Destler said earlier," a fellow male contestant said, approaching Christine. They were both in the waiting area backstage, which meant that they would be performing soon. "I don't blame you or him for what happened. I blame the reporter. Whatever your relationship is, it should have been kept private. And anyone can see that you're extremely talented. I don't think he had favoritism when he judged you."

Christine blinked. She didn't expect to receive any sort of support, especially so soon after Erik's resignation. "Wow, thank you. That's really nice of you to say."

The man was middle-aged and his talent was juggling. He smiled. "I just wanted you to know. Some people might only believe what they've seen or heard on the news, but I think otherwise. So good luck tonight and try not to worry."

"Thanks, that really means a lot." She gave him an appreciative smile. "Good luck to you, too." He walked away leaving Christine to her thoughts.

To think that she'd been nervous the previous times she had performed.. That was nothing compared to this. She was literally shaking with nerves. This was week 7, which meant that the top 8 would be chosen, which was a very big deal. Just that was nerve-wracking enough. But on top of that, there were her pessimistic thoughts. _It doesn't even matter if I do well tonight. Either way I'll probably get kicked off this week. After what happened, there's most likely no preventing it. _

A part of her wished she wasn't alone with these thoughts, but another part didn't want to involve anyone else. There was only one person who she could talk to really here, and that was Meg. But her friend had already had her turn to dance. She probably did an excellent job, too, which caused a mixture of emotions. But, instead of focusing on them, Christine decided to analyze her nerves.

_I miss Erik.. _Christine realized she was dreading the thought of Erik not being there to judge. Even though it always seemed like he'd intimidated her during previous weeks, she knew he really was the only person who could make her feel comfortable and more confident than usual. It was going to be very hard to perform without him, maybe impossible...

* * *

Erik's eyes were glued to one of the 50 inch plasma TVs in his and Nadir's hotel room. Christine was likely going to be next. There would be some sort of introduction and then she would sing. Considering everything that had happened, he found it both strange and exciting that he didn't know what she would be singing. He hadn't even thought to ask her when they were together the night before, and he was very glad he hadn't.

Now that he wasn't a judge who was forced to appear unbiased, he felt like one of Christine's avid admirers that he could consider to be his 'top pick'. He was on her side completely now, and it felt good. He could even vote for her! Erik was elated. He wasn't missing his career, as he assumed plenty of others were thinking. No, he was excited about his future with Christine. With her by his side, there would be no sadness.

Only.. he hoped she still felt the same way. It went without saying that all of her thoughts were on her coming performance at the present time, but after it was over he only hoped she would still wish to see him. What if after having time to think about things, she decided not to pursue a relationship with him? He would be devastated...

His attention suddenly returned full force to the television screen. The commercial break was over. It was Christine's turn.

* * *

_First the pre-recorded introduction, then I'm up, _Christine thought while swallowing hard. _Nessun Dorma_ was a difficult piece to sing, even under the best of circumstances. Being that everything pertaining to Pulse was currently horrible, Christine was expecting the worst.

The introductions the viewers were watching onscreen before each performance had a theme of 'How did you discover your talent?' Christine barely listened as hers played in the background. She was mostly focused on her growing nerves. At this point, she wouldn't be surprised if she passed out onstage.

_"My dad was a big part of discovering that I could sing. If it hadn't been for him, I never would have given my voice much thought and I definitely wouldn't be here now. I can never thank him enough for all he's done for me." _

Her voice on the introduction cut through her inner turmoil. What she'd said seemed to break through the nerves, which made something click in her brain. _Why in the world do I contiunously think about myself? I'm going on and on about how my performance will affect me, but I'm not considering the bigger picture. Dad. He's the initial reason I entered Pulse. His health and happiness mean more to me than anything else. Somehow I forgot that.. __But not anymore._

A firm determination suddenly set in. _I'm doing this for Dad. I'm going to sing to the best of my ability for him. And even if I do get kicked off this week, at least I will have tried my best. That's all he has ever asked for. I remember now._

A calm, focused demeanor took the place of the nerves and distress that had been there previously. It was time to sing like she'd never sung before.

Right on cue with her change of perspective, a stage director hurriedly led her to the center of the stage. The onscreen introduction ended and all lights and attention were on her.

The instrumental began. Christine mentally prepared herself while vividly imagining the first notes and words she would sing. Then, she took over...

She sang with emotion and strength. The piece had the power to make an impression on anyone and that was the reason Christine had initially chosen it a few weeks before. The best Youtube video performance of it that she had ever seen had been done by the late Luciano Pavarotti. Among all the Tenors out there, he was her favorite. When he sang _Nessun Dorma_ in that video, there wasn't a dry eye in the house. Of course she could never sing the song to his superior level, but perhaps there would be a few tearful viewers.

When the finale arrived, Christine's voice soared to a level not even she knew she could reach. And when the last note was sung, all she could hear was thunder, strangely enough. The song wasn't over, for the instrumental was still going, but all she could hear was thunderous commotion.

Once Christine was breathing and seeing properly, she realized it was the audience. The people in the audience were on their feet cheering for her! The two judges were on their feet, too!

She was shocked. Her eyes were wide as she took it all in. Never did she think she would receive such a reaction, especially considering the state of things. Really, she wouldn't have been surprised if she heard 'Boo's' from them, but cheers? It felt like a dream. A really _good _dream.

Once the cheering died down some, Madame Giry sat and began speaking. "Christine Daae, that was phenomenal! The best performance of the night! You were stunning and I'm very proud of you. I know your father is, as well."

Christine became a bit teary-eyed and said, "Thank you so much," to Madame Giry who gave her a warm smile. One thing was for sure- she couldn't wait to call her father once she got back to her hotel room.

It was Nadir Kahn's turn. "Well Christine, you never cease to surprise us! I believe I can speak for everyone when I say that it was a very emotional and tear-jerking performance. You showed more confidence tonight than you ever have before on this stage. I am amazed."

'Amazed' was a good word for it. Christine was amazed, too, by both her confidence and the crowd's reaction. She thanked Mr. Kahn sincerely and then felt Chris beside her.

"It seems you have stunned us all," he exclaimed, which caused more cheering from the audience. He then laughed. "You seem pretty stunned yourself, so I'll just get right to it. To vote for Christine..."

Christine remembered to smile while Chris announced the voting process, but her thoughts were elsewhere. Her heart was pounding with excitement. Excitement to call her father, excitement to talk to Meg about both their performances, and excitement to talk to Erik.

She didn't have a way of contacting Erik, so it would be all up to him. Christine only hoped that he would still _want _to talk to her. What if he was missing judging and regretting his decision to resign? What if he didn't think her performance was up to par? Some of her nerves were returning with those thoughts.

* * *

Erik had never been more proud of her. Christine was magnificent! As Nadir had said, he'd never seen or heard such confidence in her. Of course he wished he could have seen her shine in person, but even on the television it was pure perfection. It couldn't be denied that Madame Giry had accurately named the best performance of the night. By far.

And being that he wasn't on camera anymore, he could react the way he'd always wanted to. He could close his eyes and savor it, but he only did so at the end. While she sang, he watched her every action and emotion.

Once it was over and he'd had his chance to savor it, Erik smirked in a knowing way at the audience's reaction. No doubt his angel had won them over. Who couldn't adore a performance such as that? It was most relieving because he knew she had been worried about getting kicked off. But it was pretty obvious she had nothing to worry about now, and it was all thanks to her wonderful talent. Erik knew his words hadn't changed others' negative opinions. No, it was Christine's angelic voice that had changed their minds. Oh, what he wouldn't give to hold her at that very moment.

What he wanted more than anything was to call her, then to see her face to face. _Well, face to 'mask', that is, _he remembered with a frown. It really was too bad that his elation could never last long. There would always be _'that thing'_ in the way..

* * *

**Okay, well... I couldn't stay away. My writing might not be up to its previous standards, but after a lot of analyzing, I really feel like this is the best I can do writing-wise. I've actually come to the conclusion that most of the mess I feel I'm in has to do with another story of mine, I Belong to You. I feel like I've gotten myself into a bad spot and I need to fix it somehow. **

**Anyway! Just know that this story is back. I believe I will be posting updates on Choose to Love, too. **

**I hope this was enjoyable even though it was short. There is a lot more to come :-)**

**If you're still with me, thank you so much! (And I really want to thank my most recent reviewer, RavenousNight. Your words gave me a lot of hope, so thank you!) I know I can be a pain... I'm sorry about that, but I hope you will stick with me.**

**Thank you!**

**-Lauren**


	14. This Bliss

**Chapter 14- This Bliss**

Christine had finished talking to her very proud father on the phone and had already discussed the night's performances with Meg, who was planning to stay out and party all night.

Now she was left alone in their hotel room sitting on her bed wishing a certain person would call…

* * *

Erik was currently in a state of distress. Sure, he might have been acting confident while watching Christine on TV a short while ago, but now that it was off and he was left to his own thoughts, he could not act any longer.

_I must call her… Or must I? Surely she is busy, far too busy for me. After a performance like that, I would not be surprised if she is out signing autographs. If she hasn't realized what a freak I am by now, I know she will soon, once she has had time to think… I am not worthy of her time._

It was just then that Nadir walked into their hotel suite. He let out a tired yawn and was about to head to his bedroom when he noticed Erik. "Well hello there," he greeted with a kind smile.

"Hello," Erik mumbled, his voice downtrodden and his thoughts elsewhere.

Nadir paused mid-step. Sleeping would have to wait. He could tell that his friend was upset. His demeanor said it all. He walked over to a recliner and sat down. "Erik, I know tonight must have seemed different with you not being a judge, but that doesn't have to be a bad thing. Perhaps you could enjoy the lack of pressure that has been put upon you for so long."

Erik's brow furrowed. "What are you going on about?" Nadir's words sank in and he sighed. "That is not what is troubling me, Nadir. I actually enjoyed not having to judge and being able to watch the show by myself."

Nadir was quite glad to hear that. "Well then, what is troubling you?"

Crossing his arms, Erik flippantly said, "It's nothing."

"It is obviously _something_. You can talk to me, old friend."

His fierce exterior melted somewhat at his caring tone. _It would be nice to talk to someone. _"…I did this for her. I am sure you know that by now. I ended my career for her sake. She is all that matters, after all. But what if, after everything, I do not matter to her? She is too busy to pay any sort of attention to me."

"I know for a fact that your thoughts are inaccurate," Nadir said. "Christine was nowhere to be seen after the show. I am sure she went back to her hotel room."

" 'You are _sure_'? Well, being sure is not being _right_. Perhaps she did not go back to her hotel room. Perhaps she ran off with a fellow contestant. Or left with a admiring member of the audience. Perhaps she-"

"Do you mean to tell me that you are afraid she has forgotten you and has formed a relationship with someone else? That is preposterous, Erik. She is in her hotel room waiting for you to call."

"And how might you know that," Erik snapped. He wasn't at all convinced.

"I know because I just so happened to speak with Meg Gene, Christine's friend and roommate, after the show. Meg was 'going out', as she put it, and Christine was going back to her hotel room. She was going back for_ you_."

That caused Erik's eyes to widen. "You _do _know, then," he whispered in shock.

Nadir nodded. "Yes, and I am sure your delay in calling is causing her to worry…just as you are worrying."

Realization dawned. Erik urgently grabbed his cell phone and dialed the number to Christine's hotel room. _I hope Nadir is right…_

* * *

It was going on thirty minutes of waiting… Christine attempted to read a book to distract herself, but it wasn't working.

_What if he has decided not to call? What if my performance disappointed him? What if everything he said about 'picking up where we left off' was a lie?_

Each new thought was sadder than the last. But they could all be true. That's what hurt the most. To lose touch with him completely would crush her.

She had truly come to care for Erik. She liked him…a lot. And the words he'd spoken earlier when they talked on the phone were still reverberating in her mind- _"Goodbye, darling." _He made her feel so special, something she wasn't used to.

But she wanted Erik to be content and happy above all else. So, if his happiness didn't include her, then she would just have to accept it.

Their meetings replayed in her mind… Meeting backstage, the Edison, the practice room, walking with him in the comfortable evening air, hugging him… _Darn, _she thought, feeling like this was a much bigger loss than the competition was going to be.

But then, just when she felt like she was about to start crying, the ringing of the hotel room phone caught her full attention making her eyes widen. _Is it him?_

* * *

Christine took a breath, picked up the phone, and said, "Hello?"

"Hello Christine." There was a pause. "This is Erik."

"Oh, hi!"

Her voice sounded incredibly flustered, which made Erik feel terrible for not contacting her sooner. "I'm very sorry for not calling until now."

A small smile came to her face as she made herself comfortable on her bed. "It's ok. You called. That's what matters."

Erik's eyes softened. She sounded a bit better now, although still shy. "I must admit that I was afraid… Before I say anything else, however, I want to congratulate you on your dazzling performance. Christine, you were extraordinary. It was flawless."

Christine grinned feeling 100 times better than before. "Thank you, Erik. It was…stressful, to say the least. I was so nervous beforehand that I was shaking uncontrollably. I was dreading you to not being there and I was scared to death of the reaction I would get. But I guess it turned out ok."

" 'Ok'? My dear girl, it was so much more than 'ok'. It was the best performance of the night, by far. It was worthy of worldwide praise. And I am not saying that because I am biased. I am saying it because you need to hear it." He smiled encouragingly. "You need to know and believe how good you are."

She blushed and was glad he couldn't see it. "Wow, thank you. I suppose I _was _good." She smiled, remembering. "It felt good. Singing took away all of the stress and nerves. I just can't believe the response I got! I thought they would hate everything about it, but they actually kind of loved it."

Erik was so glad she sounded happy. She needed to believe in herself, just as he believed in her. "I want you to enjoy this. You deserve it."

She giggled but then became serious again. "I hope I make it into the Top 8…"

"You will. There's no doubt in my mind." That Erik was sure of. "Have you talked to your father?" He wanted to distract her from dwelling on the unknown.

"I did," she replied, liking that he cared about her personal life. "He's really proud of me. …I told him about you, too." She sensed his nervous silence. "He, of course, had already heard stuff due to the news, but I clarified it for him. He's completely fine with it. He's really happy for me actually."

"That is a major relief." Erik considered his words to be an understatement. Truthfully, he whispered, "I wouldn't want to be on his bad side."

"You're not, trust me," Christine said with a smile.

Erik's mind was telling him not to reveal what he was wishing to tell her, but his heart was begging him to. He finally couldn't resist any longer… "I would like to see you again, Christine. Only if you are comfortable with it, though."

Inwardly, she was squealing with excitement. "I'm really glad you said that. I would like to see you again, too."

"Perhaps we could go on an actual date?" Erik was gaining courage now that he knew she wanted to see him. "We could go to a restaurant or movie." He might not have been up on social activities, but he did know that dates generally involved eating and watching movies.

She laughed a little at his eagerness. "Not that your ideas don't sound good, but I was kind of thinking that going to a peaceful, quiet place where we could talk without distractions would be nice."

Erik could hardly believe how similar their tastes were! The quiet was what he preferred, and it seemed to be her preference, as well. He couldn't help but laugh. "My dear, your idea couldn't sound more wonderful. I didn't know that our tastes were so similar."

Christine laughed, too. "I didn't know either. This is great!"

He reveled in her excitement. "I know of the perfect place." He didn't elaborate because he wanted it to be a surprise. "May I pick you up tomorrow night, after the results?"

She didn't want to think about the results right now. "Yes, that sounds great."

They discussed their plans for meeting and talked a little more before saying sweet, excited goodbye's.

Christine felt a mixture of emotions as she hung up the hotel room phone and thought about everything going on in her life. There were the amazing feelings she got from talking to Erik, and then there was the competition and everything that went along with it.

Happiness, nerves, excitement, stress… If only she would make it into the Top 8 the following night, at least some of the stress would dissipate. But then she would have to start focusing on the next week's performance. Basically, there was very little time to breathe.

_But seeing Erik again will definitely help to increase my happiness and excitement and decrease my nerves and stress. _The positive thought caused her anticipation to mount.

* * *

Erik couldn't stop smiling as he put down his cell phone. Their talk had been better than he even imagined. Christine was an angel sent from heaven…if there was such a place. She made him actually want to believe that such a place existed..

Life could not be so simple, though. What kind of God would be cruel enough to bestow upon him the face of a monster? Erik shook his head. _There is no Higher Power; there is only cold, hateful, untrustworthy reality._ _Christine might be ignoring my mask for now, but it will enter the picture at some point._

And when that time came, for it was inevitable, their bond would be broken. _There can never be a happy ending for a monstrosity such as myself. She will come to her senses soon enough. _

_I will enjoy this bliss while I can…_

* * *

**Ummm... Hi. Remember me? Yeah..maybe not. Well, I'm back from my LOOONG hiatus. To anyone who cares, I am so so so so sorry. I've been in school, got married, have moved, am starting a new job... I've been busy.**

**I recently began thinking of this story again, though. It's always been such a fun story to write :) So, I decided to try to write some. This is the product. I hope it was ok... I know it didn't really go anywhere.. But there is more to come (and hopefully soon).**

**If you are still interested in reading this story, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.**

**I've missed FFN a lot :)**

**-Lauren**


	15. The Result of Suspense

**Chapter 15- The Result of Suspense**

"Make some noise for your Top 12!" Chris Roberts announced excitedly.

His exclamation was followed by thunderous applause as the contestants stepped onto the Kodak Theater stage. Christine and Meg were among the twelve. They were standing side by side.

Christine was beyond nervous. This was big. This was huge. Four contestants would be eliminated tonight and she could very well be one of them. After coming so far, she truly didn't want to be let go. The competition had come to mean so much to her over the past few months. Quite frankly, she wanted to win, although she knew Meg probably would. Christine wouldn't be angry. She wouldn't be sad or disappointed. Meg was her best friend, after all. She would be ecstatic for her.

"As you know," Chris began, now addressing the competitors, "Four of you will be leaving us tonight." He turned to address the audience and television cameras again. "There were more votes placed this week than ever before. So... Who's going to be in your Top 8?"

Loud yells of contestants' names could be heard from the audience. Christine could have sworn she heard some people yelling her name. It was probably just wishful thinking, though.

* * *

Erik could hear it. People were yelling Christine's name. He was sitting in the living room of his and Nadir's hotel suite avidly watching the television screen.

She just _had _to make it through. He would be thoroughly disappointed in the world if she did not. It wouldn't be the first time he'd been disappointed in people, though...

Chris, with all of his obnoxious confidence, began speaking again. "But first, we have a special performer here tonight. None other than your season 7 winner is here to sing his latest hit! Please welcome Roy Atlas to the stage!"

More applause could be heard. Erik rolled his eyes. He decided this would serve as a sort of intermission and grabbed a glass of red wine while waiting for the important part to resume.

* * *

The contestants took a seat while Roy Atlas walked onstage with his guitar. Christine could see that Meg was in a sort of trance as she watched her favorite singer perform.

Christine laughed a little, which actually helped to calm her nerves...somewhat.

The song was over all too soon. Within minutes, Christine and the others were standing on the right-hand side of the stage.

"They look nervous, don't they folks?" Chris asked with intensity. "Well, let's ease one person's mind. The first competitor who has made it into the Top 8 is..."

The television cameras were undoubtedly scanning each person's face while Chris allowed the anticipation to grow.

"Meg Gene!"

The audience cheered wildly while the judges and competitors clapped politely. Meg covered her mouth with her hand in brief surprise before grinning and jumping a little. She caught Christine's eye and Christine gave her a thumb's up before Meg followed Chris' gesture to move to the left-hand side of the stage.

_Seven more spots, _Christine thought, her nerves mounting.

* * *

_Seven more spots, _Erik thought, his eyes intensely glued to the screen. Each time the camera showed Christine's precious -but nervous- face, his eyes couldn't help but soften. His darling girl was probably nearly to the point of fainting. Oh, how he wished to ease her tension...

But then, he was just about as tense as she was.

* * *

Christine counted silently to herself. _6 spots left.. 5.. 4.. 3... 2... _And finally, _1.. There's just one spot left! Oh no, I'm really going home, aren't I? _

"And the final person who has made it into our Top 8 is..." Chris was definitely doing a superb job of continuing to build the suspense.

Christine felt like she was about to choke and die. She just knew it wouldn't be her name he called. And what was even more mortifying was the fact that tears were already building in her eyes. This was the end. _It's been fun-.._

But suddenly- "Christine Daae!"

There was a pause. She knew she hadn't heard right... Christine had built herself up for failure. She had lost all hope. So it had to have been another name he called because it being hers just wasn't possible. Her heart stopped beating.

Chris approached her frozen form with an arched eyebrow while laughing. "Christine?"

And that's when it happened, the most mortifying thing yet- Christine's body fell to the stage floor.

* * *

Erik could only stare at the screen, his eyes filled with shock and horror.

* * *

**Hi there! Even though it was terribly short, I kinda had fun writing this chapter haha!**

**A big THANK YOU to everyone who read/reviewed the previous chapter! I am so so grateful that you decided to stick with me :-)**

**I will try to update really soon.**

**-Lauren**


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